It's You
by She.Who.Walks.Alone.9
Summary: Lizzy is many things. Lance's twin sister. A pole vaulter. A senior. But when Keith Kogane, the boy she only knows from passing, comes into her life she discovers that she may be one more thing; she may be Keith's only friend.
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone, this is a back-up account/story to the ones on my Quotev you can find other stories like this there.

I fall heavily onto the mat but stay upright. My pole begins to fall to the ground, I reach to grab it but it slips from my hands and clatters to the ground. I get off the mat and an arm picks it up. My eyes follow that arm until they reach the human connected to it. He himself also has a pole which he's holding rather awkwardly. A jolt of recognition hits me. What's Keith doing here?

"Thank you." I tell him as he gives it to me. He's about to speak but Coach Hernandez-or as most call him: Coach H- interrupts.

"That was a good jump, Lizzy. Keep on working on running faster." Coach H pats Keith's shoulder. "This is Keith."

"I know, he's in my AP Psych class." I cringe. I'm talking like Keith isn't even here. I rush to fix it and look at him and smile. "Hi."

"Ah, good. You know each other. He says that he would like to join the track team and do pole-vault." Coach lifts his eyebrows as if he can't believe it. The season started a month ago; he has never really cared for latecomers. "Isn't that right, Keith."

"Yes, Coach H. It is."

"Alright." Coach shrugs. "Here's the deal. If I see that you've gotten over the six-foot bar by tomorrow, then you will begin training in the team. If not, then I don't have time to waste on people who are not serious. Lizzy, teach him the basics."

I nod and keep a composed look but inside I panic. Talking and explaining things to people is not my forte. Usually, when explaining chemistry and math problems to people, I go too fast to make any sense and leave my poor "students" more confused than they were before. And I can't help but be a little nervous about teaching Keith. He's known for his outbursts of anger and his moody disposition.

Coach walks off towards another pole-vaulter's direction. For a few seconds Keith and I stand awkwardly unsure of what to say.

"Um. Okay, follow me." I take my own pole with me as we walk towards the middle of the flied. Around us, the sprinters are running circles and we can hear the voice of the coaches urging them on. As we walk I try to make small talk-something I have never been good at.

"So, what made you decide to try pole-vault?" I ask him.

"It seemed like something I might like." He says shrugging.

"Yeah, I thought so too when I first tried out. Okay, so before we start, you need to have the right pole. May I see it? Also, how much do you weigh."

He give me an odd look but give me the pole anyway. "I think around 150. How is this relevant?"

"Well, your pole has to match your weight. If not, then you won't be able to vault properly." I squinted to discern the almost faded writing in the bottom of the pole. With a satisfied nod, I hand it back to him.

"That makes sense. I didn't know you pole-vaulted." Keith says. I look up and find his eyes on me. They're so dark that in this light, they almost seem purple.

"I started my sophomore year; and feel in love with it. Two years later, and here I am." I gesture at the entire field. "I think you're going to like it. But you're not going to do it if your don't learn how to hold the pole correctly."

He thinks for a moment and then holds the pole almost correctly. "Like this?"

I'm impressed. He must've seen how we were holding it when he watched me jump. But his hands are too high. Any higher and he will fall on his rear- something I have done various times when I first started out. I adjust his hands and point out his stance.

"That's good. Okay so what you are going to do is run for a few meters until you feel comfortable enough to jump. Then, you plant the end of the pole in the ground and kick off." I think for a second on what I'm missing. "Oh. And don't try to put your feet over your head like you saw us doing. That's only if you have a mat under you, not on flat ground."

I swallow a groan as I realize I'm going to have to do a demonstration. Unlike Lance, I always did hate being the center of attention.

"Here," I tell him as I get into position. "I'll show you."

I shift my hands and start running. Once I'm ready, I plant the pole and jump. Those few seconds in the air feels amazing and I'm reminded of just how awesome it feels to go on flat ground.

"You see how I did it?" I call out and he nods.

"Yeah. Can I go now?"

I've forgotten just how impatient he is. In class, he's always rushing to finish any assignment; and now I see that on the field, he's the same.

"Yeah. Go."

He puts his body in the position and narrows his eyes in concentration. Keith moves his hands a little down and starts running; and executes everything almost perfectly. I beam at him. That was...unexpected. He looks back at me satisfied. I clap and laugh a little.

"Dude! That was great! I can already see that you're going to be a natural." I walk up to him and see that his eyes are wide with excitement.

"That felt pretty good." He says.

"'Pretty good'?" I smile. "You have to do better than that, Keith. Did you just like it or love it?"

He is smiling. Well, a corner of his lip is turned upwards but I'll take that as a smile.

"It was okay." He says. There's something about the way he said it.

Did Keith Kogane just say a joke?

Whoa.

I try to shake the shock out of my system.

Away from the classroom, he seems more at ease and with a start, I realize that so am I. This teaching thing isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I've had to teach a couple more people before him and they always took days perfecting vaulting on flat ground. Keith was a natural at this.

"Well, if you want to show Coach H just how okay this is-" He smiles. And actual smile. "Um. Y-yeah, if you want to show him, then I want you to do it again. Run and jump down the field."

The smile is gone and replaced by determination. But in my mind's eye, I keep seeing his eyes crinkle and his mouth curve upwards.

As he progressively gets better throughout the day, I find myself hoping that he'll be able to clear the six-foot mark. Not for me, of course. After all, the team does need more pole-vaulters. And if one of them just happens to be Keith Kogane, then that's just a bonus.

Author's Note:

This is a work of fiction using characters from the Voltron Legendary Defenders world, which is trademark by Joaquim Dos Santos and Lauren Montgomery. I do not claim ownership over any of their characters nor profit from them.


	2. Chapter 2

I tense up and Keith steps up into the runway. It seems like half of the team is watching him as he adjusts his pole and concentrated on the bungee cord that's up at six feet.

"I don't have all day Kogane." Coach H calls out. Keith gives a curt nod and adjusts his hands. Then he's off. He runs just as fast as I told him five minutes earlier. He plants the pole and just barely jumps over the bungee.

"Yes!" I yell and immediately feel my face heat up as people look at me. Coach H nods at Keith as he gets his pole and walks up to him.

"Training is every day after school until six." Coach tells him. "I don't like slackers, they usually find themselves off the team. Once you bring your physical in, you will be able to practice; but for now, watch the pole-vaulters and see how they do it."

After, Keith walks up to me. "I'm supposed to observe you guys. Do you have any tips on what to look for?"

"Yeah, look at how Matt puts his feet in the air."I point to Matt as he runs and vaults. "See how he used his upper body to do that?"

"Yeah. I know, I think I need to work on getting my feet over." He says.

"We'll work on it." I promise. "We have the rest of the season to improve it."

Two weeks later, we sit in the bench besides the field as we wait for our rides; since it's Friday, not many people showed up to practice today. Keith has been improving quite dramatically, he's at seven and a half feet now. I'm sure that in no time, he will surpass me- a thought that fills me with pride. I've also noticed that as we spend more time together, he's stopped being so defensive; it seems as if I'm finally seeing the real Keith.

"You're getting way better." I tell him.

"Well, I have an okay teacher." He replies half smiling. His mouth curls up as he takes a drink from his water.

I laugh, the 'okay' has become an inside joke between us.

"Wow, that was cold; I happen to think that I'm an amazing teacher. Kogane, you need to improve on your adjective use."

He laughs.

Despite these past week, I'm still not used to seeing him smile; it catches me by surprise every single time. Which would have been fine had it not temporarily short-circuited my brain.

I look up at the heavy clouds; they make it seem later than it is. It's definitely going to rain today but despite it being near the end of winter, it's actually not that cold. I step away from the small awning over our bench and study the sky.

"What time do you think it's going to rain?" I haven't even finished that sentence when I feel a drop of water in my cheek. "YES! It's raining!

The few drop almost instantly turn into heavy rain and in a few short seconds, I'm drenched. The rain is warm and clean and I feel giddiness from it.

"It's raining!" I repeat as I twirl around laughing. "First rain of the year; make a wish!"

"That's definitely not a tradition." He says taking another drink. Without thinking, I grab hold of his arms and pull him from under the canopy. He is soaked in seconds.

"It is now." The shocked confused look on his face makes it all worth it. I burst out laughing. "You've made a wish yet?"

I realize my hands are still on his arms and quickly pull them away. His eyes narrow but the anger is not there. Instead, they light up with a mischievousness that makes me instantly regret this.

"Oh. Its on." He takes a step towards me and I take en equal step away, already itching to run.

"Now, Keith- Oh my God! Is that a flying tree?" I point behind him and take off sprinting. He quickly catches up and wraps his hand around my wrist because I keep doubling over laughing. Suddenly cold liquid falls on my head making me gasp. The idiot has poured his ice-cold water on me. Compared to the warm rain, it's freezing.

"That is so..." I splutter and try to find an accurate word. "unnecessary."

"Unnecessary?' Says the girl who dragged me into the rain."

"Please, as if I have the strength to drag you three feet against your will. Admit it, you wanted to make a wish ." I raise my eyebrow and we just look at each other. Then we burst out laughing. I love the way he laughs. The way his eyes wrinkle up and how throws his head back. The laughter dies down and we simultaneously realize he's still holding my wrist and lets go. His wet hair sticks to his face and for a moment I want to brush it off.

Whoa. What?

A honking car from the parking lot interrupts up. "Lizzy! Come one let's go!

"I need to go." I tell Keith. "See you-"

Suddenly a smooth jazz song comes from my brother's car. It takes me a few seconds to realize that it's the damned Careless Whisper. Leave it to Lance to make a meme out of everything.

"Who is that?" Keith asks.

I sigh ans start heading towards my stuff. "My brother."

I glance at him and see his face is back to the usual closed off expression he always shows in school. I faintly recall that my brother and him have some bad blood between them; having gotten into various fights throughout the years.

"I'll see you Monday, Keith." I say and he nods.

I start heading towards the field, the water making squishing noises in my soaked tennis across the field, the music, thankfully, stops. But that doesn't cease the strings of curses from leaving my mouth. I finally near his car and he cannot stop grinning.

"Careless Whisper? Why?" He laughs but his smiles melts when he takes in my dripping state.

"Whoa. You are not getting in my car like that!" He locks the door before I even reach the handle. The idiot left the window rolled down do I just reach over and open it manually.

" Your car? May I remind you that we are sharing cars. Carla belongs to us both." I get in and shove my stuff in the back.

"Carla's mine today. You have her Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Mom knew you had no social life to speak of so she gave me the car Fridays. My day my rules."

"I'll clean it up later. It's just a little water."

"A little water?" He huffs but puts the car into drive. I look out the window as we start driving and see the small retreating form of Keith. Sometimes it sucks having a twin; ever since we were little, we had to share everything. Gods, we even have to share a car.

"Okay. I'll bite. Is that your new boyfriend? Mom's going to freak when she finds out." He says.

"He's not my boyfriend." I look at him and he raises a doubtful eyebrow. "He's a friend."

"Really? Because it seems that if I didn't interrupt your conversation some smooching action would have happened."

"Shut up." I reach over to change the music but he smacks my hand away.

"My day, my music-Wait. Wait a freaking minute. You're blushing."

"Am not."

"My baby sister has a crush! I was beginning to think you were incapable of any romantic feelings whatsoever. Who's the unlucky guy? Want me to beat some sense into him?"

"More like he's beaten you." I say under my breath. "And an hour apart does not make me your baby sister."

"Huh? Who is he? Come on I always tell you who I like." He wiggles his eyebrows as we come to a halt on the stoplight.

"Lance, you've liked almost every girl in the school. You only tell me so I can become friends with them and bring them to the house. "

"Yeah? At least I actually have a social life." I glare at him and make a decision. My eyes stay on his face because I want to see his reaction.

"I've been helping Keith pole-vault after school."

His smile stays comically frozen on his face. And a look of utter confusion crosses his face. As if I have told him that the sky is not blue but a light green shade.

"Keith? Keith Kogane? As in my arch enemy Keith Kogane? What the actual fuck?" The light turns green and the cars behind us start getting impatient.

"The light's changed." I point out. He doesn't listen to me so I punch his arm. That finally makes him push the accelerator down.

"Since when has this been going on?" He demands. I try to calm him down. He's always been a reckless driver and the rain is making me nervous.

"I have been coaching Keith for two weeks now-"

And you tell me this now? Do you have any idea how dangerous he is? Come on, I would think you of all people would not go for the stereotypical bad boy. You're smarter than that, Lizzy."

"Lance! We are not going out-"

"For now." He yells. "That bastard is trying to get to me through you. Can't you see what he's doing?" Yet another example of my brother's utter empathy.

"Not everything is about you. And is it so unfathomable that someone could actually be interested in me?" I glare at him and count the blocks to our house. One more. I just want to get out; Lance is being more self-centered than usual.

"Come one, why else will Keith Kogane even talk to you. All you do is homework and read your stupid books. It's not as if he's actually interested in you."

Finally we're home.

"You're an ass." I slam the door as tears blur my vision.


	3. Chapter 3

"Lizzy, time to eat." Lance knocks. I glare at my door which has my drawer shoved against it. Because of the locks, Lance and I learned from a young age how to pick them so now I have to take precautions.

"Look, what I said before, I'm sorry. That was a dick move..." His voice falters as he's thinking on what to say.

"Keep going." I tell him.

"But even you've gotta admit that Keith is up to something." My eyes narrow. "Seriously, not insulting your...beauty, or whatever, just listen. We have been mortal enemies since day one; and now he suddenly hangs out with you?"

"Lance?" I call out controlling my anger.

"Yeah?"

"Screw you."

"Whatever. I don't want you hanging out with him. I'm leaving your food outside the door. Just eat...please."

The footsteps retreat. And the door to his room slams closed. With a sigh, I get up and move the drawer. The reason Lance is so insistent about me eating is that ever since mom started working night shifts a few months ago, I gradually let the food slide; not on purpose, I was just distracted on other things like homework or track. Without no one to remind me to eat, it was often a couple of days before I ate an actual full meal. Then one day, I collapsed after a track practice and apparently Lance freaked out. He was about to call the ambulance when I woke up but I made him promise not to tell mom and he made me promise to eat regularly. If our mom knew, it will only add to the worry she feels. Since then, he is on kitchen duty and I clean the house; mom has enough work without us adding to it.

I get the food and see that Lance made me blueberry pancakes like how dad used to make them. They have been a comfort food ever since we were little.

I bring the food in and sit by the window. It's still raining outside; my favorite weather.

I glance at my desk towards where Dad's photo is. The one where he holds the both of us up on his shoulders and looks at my mom as if she's the loveliest person he's ever laid eyes on. That was Lance and my seventh birthday party. A week after that picture, he was called back to the NAVY as head engineer to care for the USAT Trident. His boat was sunken after a particular strong storm. All hands were lost.

Ever since then, mom has struggled on raising two kids on close to minimum wage. And Lance and I have taken care of each other.

Still, he can be an ass sometimes.

I shake my head and pick up a book that I've been itching to read. Books, I discovered a long time ago, were an excellent way to forget the world for a little while.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hi." I look up from my book and Keith Kogane is standing in front of me.

"Hey. What are you doing here so early?" Since practice starts thirty minutes after the bell rings, I usually am the first one on track. The others, like Keith, I assume, go someplace else after school.

"I've been staying after school to get some extra help from my AP physics class." He replies sitting down next to me on the bench. "

"You need help? I thought acing your tests came naturally." I joke as I close my book. It's no secret that Keith is one of the smartest guys in our school. He's runner up for valedictorian; a fact that most girls swoon over. And his competition? Lance. A fact that Lance does not swoon over.

"Perfection needs practice. What are you reading?" I hand him the book and he reads the synopsis. "It sounds good; exactly how many times have you read it? Every now and then I see you with this exact book and I think you are either an extremely slow reader, which is doubtful considering the number of books you devour in a week, or you love this book. So which is it?"

"The former. I've had that book since seventh grade so I'm guessing it's more than twenty times." I laugh, a little embarrassed. "You probably think that's the saddest thing you've ever heard."

"Actually, I'm shocked that you almost the opposite of your brother." He hands me back the book.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Depends."

"Why do you and my brother hate each other so much?"

Keith raises an eyebrow. "He's never told you?"

"Oh he does." I assure him. "But I want to hear it from a different perspective."

Keith looks surprised but nods. "I think it started freshman year. I've just been adopted by my current moms and moved to this city. Now, I admit, I was in a bad mood my the time I entered school and Lance, who was the class president at the time, was the one who toured me around school. No offense, but his cheery arrogant attitude rubbed me the wrong way, especially that day when I just wanted to be left alone. And I snapped. I said something about his dad not teaching him to shut up." He stays quiet for a few seconds. "I knew I hit a sore spot when he started to walk away so I continued doing it. Once thing led to another and we fought. It's been that way ever since."

"I didn't know your dad died. If I did, I wouldn't have been such an ass. I'm sorry, I really am."

I nod and accept his apology. "Maybe if you explained, you guys wouldn't have to waste so much time fighting."

He laughs a little but shakes his head. "Lizzy, at this point, I don't even want to be in the same room as him. And the feeling's mutual. We've had too much history together to just set it aside."

The coach's whistle tweets and with a start, I realize I didn't even see the team trickle in.

"You can flirt later, after my practice." He yells to us good-humorously. Still, my cheeks redden and I distract myself by tying up my hair.

"Shall we?"

"We shall."

Lance comes out of his room a few seconds after I turned the television on. My eyes flash to the remote but before I could grab it, he snatches it away. He presses the mute button and looks at me.

"I call a Temporary Truce."

My eyes narrow and I consider my option. "On which accounts."

"On the account that I'm bored. And you have the car today. Let's do something."

"I have one condition. Buy me mint chocolate chip ice-cream and your request is accepted."

He smiles and puts out his hand for me to shake; which I do. "Deal."

It has become a tradition that whenever we fought, if either one of us wanted the fight to be over, at least for a day, we'd call a Temporary Truce. Then when the day was over, we would go right on to ignoring each other and/or fist fighting. It was a way to be together without admitting we missed each other. That way, our prides were untarnished and our fights usually didn't last as long.

"Scooch over then, last night's latest episode of Game of Thrones is about to come on." He says as he sits down and changes the channel.

"Who said we can watch Game of Thrones. Supernatural also came out yesterday." I argue with him.

"Please, as if you would be so broken up about having to watch both of them. Besides, GoT comes alphabetically before Supernatural. So it makes sense that we watch it that order."

I'm quiet for a second. "I can't argue with that logic."

The GoT theme song and we stay respectfully quiet.

By the next day, we are still fighting but the loneliness is lessened.


	5. Chapter 5

"Okay, I hope you all had a great weekend but it's time for school." The Mrs. Alta says as we enter psych class. "And as you all know, each month we do a project; now, I gave you January because there was no school the first week because of winter break. But I expect you all to act like the AP students you are and do the project due the 28 of February. You and your partner will do a naturalistic observation. You will observe people in their natural environment like a park or a cafe and write a short paper on it."

She looks at my brother impatiently. He's busy flirting with the girl next to him."Mr. McClain, when is the project due?"

Lance gives her his winning smile says the right day. He's perfected the art of listening to the teacher and flirting with girls at the same time.

"Yes, if you don't keep hitting on poor Emily, I am going to have to give you a referral." The class laughs and Emily blushes.

Oh please do. I still haven't forgiven him for Friday. And he is angry at me because I refused to stop coaching Keith. Whenever Lance and I get into a fight, it can last for days due to our mutual stubbornness.

"As always, you are going to pick your partner from Pavlov." Pavlov was a toy dog with a hole on his head where Mrs. Alta put our names on note cards. She starts with Lance's half of the room. As each kid gets a name, they say it out loud so their partner will know who got them. The classroom door opens and Keith walks in. He hands her a pass and sits down in his chair; which is the table next to Lance's.

"Ah, Mr. Kogane, nice of you to join us." Lance says. "Have a nice time getting high?"

"Lance another comment from you and the principle will have a word for you." Mrs. Alta says sternly. Lance just rolls his eyes and sulks. But his smile returns when he gets Emily as his partner. They immediately start planning out the details.

She continues on with Pavlov and I pay attention to who gets my name. Usually, I would like to do projects like these alone but unfortunately, it's required to work with someone.

"Jasmine," a girl in Keith's table calls out.

"Robby," says another.

"Jorge," Keith states.

"Jorge? Hold on, I forgot to take his name out. He dropped from class this semester. Pick another." Mrs. Alta says as she takes Keith's note card and throws it in the trash. Keith picks another and stares at it for a second.

"Lizzy." He says.

"Lance, what are you doing." I tell my brother who is standing in front of me with his arms spread. The dismissing bell rang ten minutes ago. I talked to a teacher after school and was heading towards the track when Lance intercepted me.

"Stopping you from being stupid. First, you see him every day after school and now you're partners with him? What? Are you having the wedding by the end of the month?"

"It's not as if I chose this."

"But you go running to him anyways."

"I'm only going to say this once so listen. There's nothing between us. And even if there was, mom will never let me date in high school. You know this very well because she doesn't even let you. So stop trying to act like Dad and let it go."

Immediately I know I messed our life, there have been only a few times when Lance was got really angry with me. I could count on one hand the number of times that's happened. Now, this, this was the cold anger. The type of anger that lasts for months; it makes Friday's fight seem like children bickering.

"Fine," he says in an even, cold voice. "I'll leave you alone. Don't go running to me when he hurts you."

"Lance, wait. I'm sorry-" But he's already gone.

"Dammit!" I kick the trash can besides me and yell in pain. "Stupid idiot. Why would you kick the concrete trash can."

I sit in the bench outside the bathroom and rest my hands on my face. The guilt is already killing was the worst thing I could have said. Lance took Dad's death the hardest; he was determined to fill in the spot as man of the house. He's worked part time since he turned sixteen, for god's sake. I close my eyes and try to stop the heat building up behind them. What kind of sister am I? I do the breathing exercises to calm down that I taught myself a long time ago. And it works, for the most part.

"Lizzy?" I look up and see Keith a few paces away. "Are you okay?"

I wipe my eyes and work to school my expression. "I'm good. Um, what are you doing here?"

"I heard a yell and thought something happened." His dark eyes study me. And repeats the question after a moment. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I'll meet you in the track in ten minutes." I would think he would listen to my clear dismissal but he sits down next to me instead. I'm about to protest when he cuts me off.

"Sometimes, the worst thing you can do to yourself is push people away." He looks at me intently. "I'm not saying you have to tell me. Just know that if you want to talk, I'm literally here next to you."

I laugh a little. We sit like this for some time. I keep on coming back to what I said to Lance. Keith clears his throat and nudges me.

"I think we both need a break." I look up at him confused. "Wanna go on an adventure?"

"What? And ditch track?"

"It's an extracurricular activity. It's not as if they're going to mark you absent. Besides, we've gone to more practices than our teammates have."

I'm about to say no when I remember Lance is probably not going to pick me up. Not that I blame him...

"Okay."

"Okay." He stands up and hoists my track bag over his shoulders.

I stand staring confused at his motorcycle. I don't know much about vehicles but I know enough to know this is a sweet ride. It looks dangerous with its black and red coloring. My eyes wander to what I assume is the fuel tank and spot a V for Vendetta bumper sticker. My inner fangirl flairs as I read the quote.

"You know, I would have thought you of all people wouldn't be afraid to get on a bike." He says as he reaches into a compartment under the seat and pulls out leather gloves and two helmets.

"No, it's not that." He hands me a helmet and I inspect it avoiding eye contact. "Just ,why do you wait with me after practice? I thought your dad picked you up."

Is it me or is he blushing? He shakes his head and laughs softly.

"I'm actually adopted. Barbara is a good person; she and her wife, Daniel, adopted me when I was eleven." I wonder if he realizes he's smiling fondly. Then he snaps out of it and hesitates for a second. "And I enjoy talking to you. Though to be fair, you never asked about my transportation. You ready?"

I smile as I strap on my helmet and adjust my backpack. "Now, where are we going?"

"You'll see." He gets on and instructs me how to told on. And then we're off. It takes me a while but soon, I learn to lean in with the turns.

All the while, five words keep repeating themselves in my head.

 _I enjoy talking to you._


	6. Chapter 6

The ride on the bike is exhilarating and I'm disappointed when we come to a halt. I recognize where we are. It's Howler's Park at the edge of the city; the green park houses several hills surrounding it. My father used to take Lance and I here every summer when we were little.

Lance. How could I have been so malicious? I can't help but check my phone to see if he's responded. But my notifications show up blank. Keith interrupts my thoughts as he gets off and nudges me.

"We're here. Do you mind hiking?" Keith asks taking his helmet off; his black hair is a little messy but it somehow still looks good on him. I can't keep the grin off my face.

"Are you kidding? I love it." My hands fly towards my helmet's clasp but it stays stubbornly together.

"Here, let me help. That one is usually tricky." I freeze and Keith closes the distance between us and he works the clasp off. With a start, I realize just how short I am next to him; the top of my head just about reaches his nose.

"Thanks. Um...Keith, do you mind if I make a phone call real quick?"

"Yeah, go ahead." I take a few steps away for privacy and call Lance. As expected, there is no answer but I leave a message.

"Hey Lance, it's me, listen, what I said before, I didn't mean it. I appreciate you. What you've always done for mom and me; it's more than anyone could have ever asked of you. And I'm really sorry. I don't want to keep on fighting anymore; we only have one more year before we go off to college. Umm.. anyways, don't worry about picking me up; I've got a ride. I'll give you some time to cool down. See you at home."

I hang up and stare at the phone. I really screwed up.

But the only thing you can really do right now is wait for him to cool off, a voice says. Work things out when you get home.

I walk towards Keith and force a smile. "Alright, let's go."

He studies me for a minute and then begins to lead the way.

"I really think you're going to like it." He says as we enter the forest.

"How come?" I ask curious.

"Most girls wouldn't like it." He replies and smirks back at me.

"So?" I notice that our trail is becoming steeper. We leave the well-used path and go up towards a hidden one. I can't help but smile. As adventures go, this is is starting to be pretty decent.

"You aren't like most girls."

I stop and stare at his back. Was that an insult?

...Or could it have been flirtation?

I decide to give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, even if Lance's method of execution were rather rude, he was right, why would Keith even look at me as nothing more than a friend. Hell, being his friend is probably the closest thing anyone has ever gotten to him.

Which is why, I don't want to ruin it.

We stay mostly silent but it's not an awkward quiet. It's the type of comfortable silence that we feel free to speak up to say a joke or point out interesting things. As we walk, we go past an old gate that I assume the city has never gotten around to tear it down. Pretty soon, I start to hear water.

"I forgot there was a waterfall here." I tell him.

"Really? When was the last time you've been here?" He asks a bit breathless. I am too, although the temperature is cool, the climb is steeper than I thought it would be.

"Uh, about ten years ago. We stopped coming after dad died."

"No wonder." He stops and waits for me to catch up. "You haven't mentioned we are technically breaking the law."

"What?" I look around and see nothing out of the ordinary. He just grins mysteriously.

"Follow me, we're almost there." With new energy, he keeps climbing. "Come on!"

I run after him and almost crash into him.

"Keith, how are we breaking the-"

Whoa.

Without realizing it, we've climbed one of the tallest hills in the park. The whole city stretches out below us; the view is breathtaking. The sun is already beginning to descent and it's staring to paint the clouds that are hovering above orange.

"This is beautiful." I tear my eyes off the landscape and look at Keith. "Thank you."

"I thought you'd like it." He smiles at me for a second too long. "Wait, stay here."

Then he's off into the trees behind us. I'm about to follow anyways when he emerges holding a plastic bag.

"I usually come here as often as I can." He explains as he pulls out a red checkered blanket and begins to set it on the ground. "The view is amazing but the food is even better."

Keith sits on one side of the blanket and gestures to the open spot next to him. I laugh as I take in this carefree Keith so different from what I would have thought. I sit next to him as he offers me a small box full of chocolates and pick one up and the brand is unfamiliar to me. It has a name in a different language.

"These, are illegally imported from Cuba. So technically, we're doing two illegal activities at the same time." He breaks off a piece and eats it.

"Why is our being here against the law anyway?" I ask him and I sample the chocolate. It melts in my mouth in a delicious burst of flavor. I can't imagine why any nation in their right mind would outlaw these chocolates.

"Too many people were getting lost and suing. So the city decided to close the paths that reach above a hundred and fifty feet." He lays down and puts his hands behind his back. His shirt rides up a little and my cheeks heat up as I try not to stare.

"That's stupid. If people are getting lost in a park entirely surrounded by a city, they are the ones who need to be monitored. I mean, all one has to do is keep on walking until you reach the end." Keith smiles at me and I can tell he agrees.

"Yes, but in the last five or so years since they passed the law, I've been seeing nature starting to reclaim itself. It's nice to be someplace where if someone wants to see you, they have to climb for an hour to do so. Most people bail after the first ten minutes. Not you, though. I don't know why you keep surprising me."

My eyes stay on the horizon but I smile anyway.

We stay silent for a while as we enjoy the spectacle in front of us. The sky goes from orange to red and too many colors in between to count.

"Lance and I fought." I finally say. "Worse than any other time."

Besides me, I feel him sit up. He doesn't say anything but I know he's listening.

"I said some pretty hurtful things. Bad enough that I think I might have ruined something forever."

"He'll forgive you. Of course he will. Anyone can see that he adores you." He puts his hand on my arm and squeezes. "Lance doesn't hold on to anger. Before you know it, he'll be back to annoying and bickering with you."

"I don't know, this is different." Last time someone brought up Dad in a fight, they ended up turning into 'mortal enemies'.

"He can't stay angry forever, you're his sister. He won't just forget seventeen years of memories."

Keith's words calm me down, at least a little bit. After all, it's not as if Lance will hate me forever, right?

I hope so.

The sky is beginning to turn a darker shade of blue when a thought occurs. We took about two hours climbing up here.

"How are we going to get down?"

His eyes light up and he grins at me mischievously. "This park used to have a zip line tourist attraction..."

I immediately get it and my mouth dries up.

"The city had done a really bad job tearing it down. In fact, they haven't even gotten around to do it. Care to give it a try?"

"Is it safe?" I ask him in a small voice.

"I've done it more times than I can count." I'm about to back down but then I see his face. He's so excited to share this with me that I can't say no.

"Sure. Let's us to it."

We take less than three minutes to pack up and get ready. The light from the vanishing sun illuminates the path as Keith leads the way. Sooner than I thought, we reach a tall tree. It has a rope ladder that reaches to the top. My stomach turns as I take in the tree's height; the top, where the platform is, sways ever so slightly.

"After you." I manage.

"The climb's not bad. Just remember to keep your center of balance close to the trunk." Then he begins. I'm amazed by his nimbleness; he reminds me of a squirrel.

"Okay, you can do this. It's not so high." I grip the rope tightly then begin to climb after him. The fact that I can feel the rope ladder jerk with Keith's movements is not helping.

"Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look down. Damn!" The ground is now about thirty feet below. The darkening forest floor makes it look even farther. I close my eyes and try to ignore my pounding heart. And that's how I make it the rest of the way: with my eyes closed.

Keith helps me up the platform and I go immediately to the trunk and lean on it. I can hear the tree creak in the wind.

"Are you okay?" He kneels down in front of me. I give him a weak smile.

"I'm actually not fond of heights. And the falling that usually results from them." I'm too scared that the platform will give away to keep in the truth.

His eyebrows knot together in worry. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was the quickest way down. And... I didn't want to disappoint you." The wind blows and I grab hold of his hand instinctively. He wraps his fingers around my own.

"You'll never disappoint me. Do you want to get down?" I shake my head.

"I want to do it."

"But you just said-"

"Kieth, why do you think I pole vault?" He cocks his head in confusion. "I face my fear because it's the only way to get over it."

"So all this time, you've actually been scared of heights?" He looks at me in awe. "That's really...brave."

"It's hardly bravery-"

"No, it is." He squeezes my hands and helps me up. The sun, I vaguely notice, has already set. His face is illuminated by the full moon, in its white light, he looks beautiful.

It's an odd word to portray a guy but hot or cute are not sufficient enough to describe him.

"Okay, I'm ready." My hand are still shaking but my breathing has at least slowed.

"Okay." I love that he doesn't ask me if I'm sure or if I want to back out. "Let's do it."


	7. Chapter 7

I insisted Keith to go first but he just laughs and refuses.

"Do you really think I'm going to leave you here alone?" He asks incredulously as he gets the equipment out. It seems simple enough once he installs it. Just sit in the seat looking contraption and let gravity do the rest. Right. Knowing me, I would probably find a way to mess it up.

"You don't think I can handle this?" I challenge mustering all the bravado that I lack.

"You can. It's just that I want to be sure you put everything together correctly." He rechecks all the parts to it and casts a worried look my direction. "Are you sure you want to do this? We can always-"

"I'm sure." I nod and try to ignore the way the platform sways as I walk towards him.

"Okay. Stand on the chair." I do as I'm told and fasten the harness as he instructs. He checks that I've done it correctly and stands back.

"At the end, the line will automatically slow. The only thing you have to do is unfasten the harness and jump off; it's only five feet from the ground. You ready?"

I look down the path of the zip-line and besides the fear and anxiety, there is something else I feel.

Excitement.

"Yeah." This time, the smile I give him is not forced. I step off of the chair and begin to move. It's a real effort not to look down but when I do, I'm going too fast to feel anything besides fear and excitement. The roar of the wind drowns the beating of my heart and for one awesome moment, I feel as if I am the wind.

The line slows down and as I catch my breath, I can't help but grin. When it stops, I unbuckle the harness and drop to the ground. I remember Keith's instruction and move out of the way; getting closer, I can hear his line approaching.

He slows to a stop and takes off his harness with practiced ease. As soon as he's on the ground, I move towards him.

"That was amazing!" I yell as I wrap my arms around him. "Thank you! Did you see that? I can't believe I did it!" I let go and laugh.

"I never doubted you." He replies proudly. "How did you feel?"

"As if I flew with the wind." I admit. "That sounds cheesy."

He shakes his head and smirks then he get serious and looks at me. There's a tender look that crosses his face and then it's gone leaving me to wonder what he thought about.

"We'd better get going. The parking lot's this way." I follow him as we make out way through the forest. Something about the night makes us talk in hushed tones as if we don't want to disturb the natural sounds. We finally reach the parking lot; there are only a couple cars left.

"Hey, what do you want to do for psych's naturalistic observation?" I ask as we reach his motorcycle.

"Caffe? I know this place that is hidden in the old part of town . The shop's a little run-down but the coffee is to die for. I'll pick you up tomorrow, say...around five?"

"Sure. It's a date then."My face grows hot. "No, umm. Not a date date. Just a meeting. Like an appointment." I rub my hand though my hair embarrassed. "Great now it just sounds like a dentist's appointment. Can you just forget everything I said this past minute?"

Keith laughs and tosses me the helmet. "It's a date then."


	8. Chapter 8

Keith stops the motorcycle in front of my house. A few lights are on and I anxiously check my phone just in case that Lance had called.

No new notifications.

"Don't worry." He tells me as I get off and hand him back his helmet. "He'll be over it."

"I hope so." I whisper. I bite my lip. I'm not sure what to do now that I'm home. "Thank you, by the way, I really needed today."

I smile at him and on the impulse, throw my arms around him. He seems confused when I let go and doesn't met my eyes.

"Go on, make things right."

"I you tomorrow." I call to him as I make my way towards the front door. Keith nods and turns on his bike; when his form disappears around the corner I take a deep breath and open the door.

Inside, the house is warmed by the fireplace. It's almost seven. Mom should be home in a couple of hours.

"Stop stalling. " I tell myself.

I make my way to his door and knock softly.

"Lance, I'm home." I call out. "I really don't wanna keep on fighting. Pease. I'm sorry." My voice cracks a little. I wait for his response and I'm just as I'm about to walk away when his door opens. Immediately, my words come out in a rush.

"I know I was a jerk before. Call me all the names you want; I should have never brought up-" My brother hugs me; it's such an unexpected gesture that I almost sob right there and there.

"It's okay. I guess we've both been jerks lately." He smiles at me and I sag in relief.

He forgives me.

But he holds up his finger.

"I have a condition. If you insist on hanging out with Keith and if he hurts you, I'm the first one you tell. And I can do with the information what I wish. Deal?"

"He's not going to hurt me. Besides, I can defend myself. Remember dad's lessons? I do. And-"

"Deal?" He raises an eyebrow and sticks out his hand.

If making things right with my brother involves agreeing to something that will never happen, I'd be a fool not to take the offer.

"Deal." I shake his hand and he looks satisfied. Lance smacks his lips hungrily.

"Now help me make dinner, Mom should be here soon."

A while later, I accidentally burn the eggs. How they caught on fire, I don't even know.

"How do you even burn eggs?" he questions me exasperated for the third time. "From now on just sit in the table and don't touch anything. Pryronamiac."

As I sit, he fusses around in the kitchen muttering about eggs occasionally.

"So," he asks after a few minutes. " he asked you out yet?"

My face reddens and I don't even bother to try and hide it; he knows me too well for that. "He doesn't even like me." I mumble. "And anyways, we're just friends."

"Aha! So you do like him. Are you going to tell him?"

Suddenly I realize that Lance is teasing me like a brother. His 'overprotective dad' attitude is gone and replaced by the expected attitude of a brother finding about his siblings crush. Still, it's a relief to talk to him like this.

"Did you not listen to what I just said? He doesn't like me; not like that. We're just friends."

But I recall the way his cheeks blushed when I hugged him and suddenly I'm not so sure.

"And hell is just a sauna." He shoots back good -naturally.

"Don't freak out or anything but for 's assignment we're going to a cafe." I inform him.

"A date! My sister is going on a date? You know, I'd be happier if it wasn't with my enemy-"

"It's not on a date."

"So you just call 'going to get coffee at a secluded restaurant with just the two of you' not a date?" I pause for a second.

"When you put it that way it does sound like it." I agree "But we're going to be stalking people. That's not at all romantic."

He opens his mouth to say something but is interrupted by the sound of the front door swinging open. My mom walks in carrying grocery bags; her eyes brighten when she sees me. I go up to her and help her with the bags.

"What are you doing home so early?" I ask her. She hugs me and let's go.

"Kelly took over for me; we've switched shifts for today. Now, Lance my boy, is that food I smell? "

His head pokes out from the kitchen and he smiles at her.

" Lizzy set fire to the eggs. Seriously Mom, how does someone even burn eggs? They're not even flammable."

"Everything is flammable if you try hard enough." I reply.

"Except water!" He turns to Mom. "Honesty woman, the kitchen has demanded a restraining order against her."

Mom pats his shoulder affectionately and then shoos him aside and takes over the kitchen.

"At this point your sister will never find a skills as a cook are getting better; just try not to get overboard on the salt." She beans at him in a way that moms only can and brings his head down to kiss his forehead.

"My boy is taller than his own mother. When did you both grow up? I swear yesterday you reached my stomach."

Lance throws a mischievious look at me and turned towards her.

"Hey Mom, speaking about the possibility of Lizzie's husband, remind me again when she can start dating?"

Oh he's dead. I'm about to cross the room and tackle him when my mother utters something that stops me on my tracks.

"I'm sure she's responsible enough to start dating. Aren't you,dear?"

Both Lance and I are frozen. Did I just hear her correctly?

"Wait what?"

"I know I said that after high school but you are both responsible enough. Even though Lance likes to act like he's not. As long as you keep your grades up, you're allowed to date."

"Lizzy is going on a date." Lance blurts out.

My mom raises an eyebrow.

"It's not a date. We're just partnered up for a school project." That boy is going to get it.

"Do I need to have the talk with you both? I think it's time." My eyes widen and we both shake our heads.

"Not necessary. " I say while Lance exclaims something about health class at school.

"Anyways, I have homework to do." I excuse myself and retreat to my room. I hear Lance do the same.

Once in my room, I carefully pick out the clothes for tomorrow. I know it's not a date but there's nothing wrong with looking nice.


	9. Chapter 9

Five hours away.

With a sigh I click my phone off and try to finish the book that I've started yesterday. Every time I think about the meeting I have with Keith later today, my pulse quickens.

Get a grip! Stop acting like a silly giggling schoolgirl. I tell myself.

Unfortunately, practice today was cancelled due to the rain so that means more time to sit home and stress about this evening. I never thought I would wish for more homework but at this point the distraction will come as a relief. All I really have to do today is study for the math test on Friday.

I shift uncomfortably in the library chair. Normally, I sit with my friends in the senior tables but due to the rain today we've all scattered. Some to the cafeteria, others to some classrooms. And myself, to the refuge of the library. It's surprisingly not as crowed as I thought I would be.

"Hey water you doing?" I look up in time to see a guy pull a chair and sit next to me. I know him, Taylor is one of the most popular football player in school-also a notorious lady's man. He makes Lance look like a saint. He gives me a winning smile. "Get it? Because it's raining. Wanna hear another one? If you were a fruit, you'd be a fineapple."

I force a smile and turn my attention to the book.

"You see those guys over there?" He points to a group of three in the corner of the next table. "They said you were too out of my league for me to get a number from a beautiful girl such as yourself. I'd like to prove them wrong."

Not a bad line. I'm sure it's worked on tons of girls given his reputation. This is probably my cue to reassure him about his attractiveness or to blush over the compliment. I go for a third option.

"Beauty is a construct based entirely on childhood ipressions, influences, and role models. Ugliness and attractiveness are just illusions." He gives me a blank look and I try not to smirk. I probably shouldn't have said that; instead of the mild interest from before, he stops glancing towards his friend's table and focuses on me.

"Wait, aren't you Lance's sister? I remember him mentioning you last year during football practice. But I never knew you were this smart...or this pretty. You're just the tree that keeps on giving, huh? Now I have to wonder what else you can give." Tyler flashes a flirtatious smile.

"A restraining warrent."

"You're a feisty one. I like feisty. All this time and I never did catch your name...and your number."

"Lizzy." I ignore the number part and reopen my book. I breifly consider leaving but then my pride wins out. I was here first. Plus, it's raining.

"You know, this started as a bet. But now, you are actually someone I wouldn't mind hanging out with. I'm sorry by the way, for being rude. Maybe you can give me a call and we can go out someplace." I study him. He seems sincere enough. But I already have plans with a certain dark-haired boy-plans that there's a snowball's chance in hell I'm giving up.

"I don't have any cell service." I lie easily.

A hurt look crosses his face and I feel a little bad. But then I remember his bet and my resolve hardens.

"I saw you visibly texting not ten minutes ago." I shrug. I was texting to Lance to give me a ride after school since track was cancelled.

He puts an arm around my chair and tries again. "I can take you someplace nice. Maybe dinner or even to catch a movie. It's up to you."

"It's up to me?" I cock my head. Tyler looks smug at my interest.

"Yeah, of course it is."

"My answer is no."

"No?" He splutters. I nod and he look incredulous.

"You did say it was up to me." I point out. A movement catches my eye and I'm relieved to focus my attention elsewhere.

Keith. My heart quickens. I hadn't noticed he walked into the library. His dark eyes meet mine and I feel a jolt of electricity. I struggle to keep my expression neutral and point a look to the empty seat in front of me. When Keith reaches my table his eyes wander to Taylor's arm around my chair. An odd expression crosses his face but before I can dwell on it, Tyler takes my book.

"I'll give you some time to think about it. Call me whenever you'd like. Day...or night." He's about to touch his pen- where did that even come from- to my book's front page when I rip the book from his hands.

"What the hell? Seriously?" He has the nerve to look amused at my reaction. My anger rises and I control the urge to smack the book on his head.

"Hey," Tyler spreads his arms wide in a innocent gesture. "I'm only giving you what you're too shy to ask for."

"That's enough." Keith stands up and glares at him. "Leave her alone."

I've never seen him so angry. His expression darkens under the artificial lights. Suddenly, I understand why people are so afraid of him; because, damn, he can be scary when he wants to.

Taylor stands up and faces him down. I notice a wave of silence; everyone is staring at our table. We all know the symptoms of a fight and this is starting to look like the start of him.

"Ah, Keith, the emo boy. Still going through that angsty phase?" Keith narrows his eyes and I stand up just as the bell rings. People start to head outside reluctantly.

"Why don't we go to class? Keith, let's go." I gather my belonging and walk to his side. Despite the situation, my cheeks heat up as I pull his sleeve. I manage to lead him halfway out when I look back at the football player. "Oh, and Taylor, fuck off."


	10. Chapter 10

"Do you want your regular?" Lance asks me as he puts on his of going home to an empty house, I asked Lance take me to work with him. He's worked at a local coffee shop called Hurley's Coffee for almost a year now. It's not the most original of names but the coffee's good and the customers are peaceful.  
"Do you really have to ask?" I feigns a look of disbelief.  
"Hunk, did you hear that? Lizzy is being a smart-ass. She's just cranky that practice was cancelled."  
His co-worker, and our friend, Hunk, turns towards us.  
"I would be too if I had to be with you." He teases good-naturally. He's one of Lance's best and oldest friend and we've known him since sixth grade. Hunk graduated last year and is working part-time to pay for his college classes.  
"How's your second semester of college? I hear the party's are awesome. Have you been to them?" I ask him but trail off when I see Lance rocking back and forth on his heels in excitement.  
"Can I tell her?" He pleads and Hunk's face reddens.  
 _Oh, this is going to be good.  
"_Go ahead." My brother pumps his fist up at Hunk's approval.  
"Hunk's got a girlfriend!"  
I burst into a wide smile and look at the older boy.  
"What's her name?" As soon as I ask that, a goofy smile lights his face.  
"Shay. She's studying to be a geologist. I was in the library one day and saw her there. One thing led to another now we were dating." Hunk looks away dreamily and I try hard not to squeal. Lance doesn't even try to not embaress his friend. My brother nudges Hunk with his elbows and wiggles his eyebrows.  
"She's going to come here today before we close. We've already planned our greeting."  
"What is it?" I asked curiously and then immediately regret it when Lance gets The Look. The Look is an expression he gets whenever he's going to do something incredibly stupid.  
The boys look at each other and, to my horror, dab in unison.  
"Gods no. Don't do that; you're going to scare the poor girl away." The store door opens and two girls from my school walk in. When they see Lance they start to giggle.  
"Don't listen to her, Hunk. She's just jeleous of our abilities to impress the opposite sex." Lance turns towards the register and gives the girls a flirtatious smile. "And what can I get you two ladys?"  
I roll my eyes get out my homework. Math is preferable than witnessing Lance's lame attempts to woo girls. When they've ordered, the pair go sit down and talk while they wait for their coffee.  
"You know Hunk, Lizzy won't be here to stop us from dabbing later on." I look up and see my brother preparing the drinks. "You see, Lizzy, my dear little sister, is going on a date."  
 _Really Lance?  
_ Hunk almost drops the drink he's mixing and stares at me. Lance continues on as if nothing happened and takes over Hunk's job.  
"Yep. Care to guess who it is?"  
"Lance, I swear to God-" He cuts me off as he raises the two cups up.  
"Order for Nat and Audrey." The two girls approach and Lance winks at the blonde one. "I wrote my number in case you wanted more of that caffeine."  
 _Oh my god. I thought it was impossible for his pick up lines to get worse.  
_ The two giggle as they leave the store.  
"Who are you going on a date with?" Hunk prompts me. He's so used to Lance's pathetic flirting that it doesn't even phase him any more.  
"It's not a date." I mumble.  
"She's seeing Keith." Lance passes me a drink and then heads to the empty tables."As in my arch-enemy."  
Surprisingly, I'm not mad at him for telling Hunk. I've known him for six years and I know he's not the sort of person to start spreading rumors.  
"Keith?" eyes widen. No doubt my brother told him all about his 'arch-enemy'.  
"Yeah," I say evenly. " We're friends." I stare him down waiting for him to contradict me. Hunk raises his hands in a peaceful gesture. "Just be careful. I've heard people talk about him."  
"Right! That's what I told her but she doesn't listen." Lance exclaims as he starts wiping tables.  
"He's a good person." I protest defensively. "The rumors are lies."  
Hunk looks uncertain and he glances at me concerned.  
"I'm not trying to mess things up-"  
"Oh, please do." Hunk ignores my brother's remark and continues.  
"But the rumors are rumors for a reason. It's your decision in the end but be safe all the same." I nod. He's like a second brother to me and I know he's not saying it out of malice. Hunk looks satisfied at my response and gets back to work.  
From the bar, I hear Lance singing along with the music. The shop's owner, Hurley, doesn't mind what they play as long as it doesn't scare away the customers. But right now, they barely have customers _to_ scare. I count five other people scattered around the café. After a moment, I try to focus on the math problem but my hands wander off to my phone.  
It's 3:58.  
I click it back off and work on my homework. After a long while, Lance sits down on the stool next to me.  
"Want to do my English homework while you're at it?" He wiggles his eyebrows.  
"Nope. Hey, now that you're here, can you help me out on this one? I tried doing it like five times but I keep getting a different answer." I push the page towards him and he takes a look at it. He's a wiz at year, Lance is taking AP Statistics and he still complains it's not challenging enough.  
"You forgot to convert this to pi." He snatches my calculator and puts in the numbers. "Tada. Also, you've got number 10 wrong, same mistake on that one."  
"Thanks." I tell him.  
"No problem." An elderly man walks in through the door and Lance breaks into a smile he heads back to the cashier.  
"Hey Alberto, have any luck with your lady yet?" Leave it to Lance to get to personally know his customers.  
I finish the problem and check the time.  
4:47.  
 _Shit.  
_ I put my phone down and it almost immediately vibrates. I read the words on the screen.  
 **Message from Keith.**  
Today, as we walked back to our psychology class after lunch we exchange numbers. A little shakily, I tap open the text.  
 **On my way. Pick you up at Hurley's Café, right?  
** My heart races as I type.  
 **Yeah, text me when you're outside.**  
I don't want Lance and Hunk making a scene if Keith comes in. They've already made their opinion of him quite clear. His message comes a few seconds later.  
 **Okay**.  
Hunk makes the man a cappuccino and the elderly customer walk away with his steaming cup of coffee. I feel Lance's eyes on me and I glance up.  
"It's almost time, isn't it? Good thing it's not a date. If it was, you would probably have had a heart attack by now." He quips and I cock my head.  
"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask confused.  
"Come on, you're already blushing and you haven't even seen the guy." He points out. My phone vibrates and I click it open.  
 **I'm here.**


	11. Chapter 11

"Whoa. This place is amazing." I gasp as I look around.

"Yeah, I've been coming here ever since I moved." Keith says. "It's quiet."

And it was. The café was...cozy. The dim lighting along with the warm crackling fire made it seem like home.

"Come, this is my favorite place." He leads me up some stairs that I haven't even noticed and into a small terrace. There are only three tables and none of them are occupied. We sit in the one closest to the edge and I get out my notebook.

"You know, we are just stalking people for a grade." I tell him excitedly as I flip to a new page. "Who would have thought psychology was so fun."

He chuckles and my heart goes into overdrive.

"So wanna split the room up? You take the left and I the right?" He asks as he takes out a notepad.

I study the room. At the most, there are about fifteen people drinking their coffee and talking. And most of them are on the left-near the fire.

"Why don't we just do all of it. Then we can compare notes on things the other might have missed." He thinks for a moment then nods.

"Okay but I never miss anything." Keith protests teasingly.

 _You missed that I have feelings for you._ I think then freeze.

Shit. _What if he knows? Don't be obvious._

 _"_ Uhh true. Very true." I manage.

He frowns a little.

"Are you okay? You seem a little off today." Thankfully a waiter comes because I can't think of anything to say.

"Hello! May I get you guys something to drink?" The waiter says. I look up and the young man seems familiar. It takes me a moment to place him. He was a senior who graduated last year.

"Do you guys have hot chocolate?" I ask. The guy looks at me and smiles.

"For you, of course."

"Cool, I'll take it." The waiter jots it down and then turns to Keith.

"Some coffee. Black. Two sugars." My friend spits out. The waiter nods and writes it down.

"Alright, anything else?" The waiter looks at me and I shake my head.

"No, that's all, thanks." Then he leaves.

I look at Keith and raise my eyebrow.

"What was that about?" I question him. He shakes his head exasperated.

"Didn't you see him? He was clearly flirting with you. That's the second time this day."

I look back at the waiter and shake my head.

"No he wasn't. He was being nice."

"Tyler wasn't being nice." He points out. "And how can you not notice that, it was so obvious."  
I shrug.

 _I don't notice him because I'm too busy noticing you,_ I think. And then, o _h no. I'm starting to sound like Lance_.

"How did you even find this place?" I ask to change the topic. He seems to relax a bit at my question.

"My bike broke down a couple streets away and I walked it here and called Barbara if she could pick me up. She said yes but I had to wait a few hours until she got off from work. So I walked in here and kept on returning after that."

"Ah so the mysterious Keith Kogane is not so mysterious after all." I tease lightly. "You know, this isn't a bad spot. I'm sure girls would love it when you take them here."

His lip twitches.

"I wouldn't take just any girl here. Plus, I think you're confusing me with your brother."

"Oh my god speaking of my brother, wanna hear his latest pick-up line?".

An amused smile lights up his face.

"I heard him practicing this one in the bathroom. Ready?" I almost can't deliver the line because I'm laughing too hard. "You're nine out of ten...and I'm the one you need."

He starts laughing- and oh my god, he's beautiful.

I struggle to compose myself.

"I believe that the line is followed by the Lance Face."

"The Lance Face?" He asks with a smile.

"Yeah you know the one he does when he flirts with people. This one." I mimic the face Lance has worked hard to perfect. The one that says 'I'm the sexiest person you'll ever find'.

Keith looks down and-is he blushing?

I dismiss the thought. Must be the lighting.

"We should probably start doing the assignment." He says after a moment. I can't help but feel a little hurt. We were just staring to talk comfortably like how we used to before I realized I liked him. Am I annoying him? I probably shouldn't have mentioned Lance.

"Sure." I tell him.

We start writing the observations we see around us. After a few minutes, the waiter brings us the drinks.

I snicker as I write an observation down. A man with a red hat scratches his butt he thinks no one's looking. I grimace when I watch him sniff his hand.

I turn to Keith and find his eyes on me.

"Did you see that? Red Hat guy?" He shakes his head. "Oh, well he's a notorious butt sniffer."

I turn my attention back to the scenery below. I don't know how much time has passed when Keith clears his throat.  
"Thirty minutes are up. Here." He hands me his notepad and I give him mine.

Even his handwriting's nice. It's a perfect combination between chaotic and understandable. I read his observations and notice that while I wrote more on the details, like what kind of beard a person had, Keith wrote on overall observations I didn't even notice. Like, I didn't even realize that Red Hat guy had a girlfriend besides him.

"Oh so that's what you were laughing about." Keith says. "I'll make a point never to shake hands with Red Hat guy. His actual name is Henry."  
"I'll keep calling him Red Hat guy because Henry's dull."

He raises an eyebrow and looks curious.

"And what would you call me if you saw me on the street?" He asks.

 _Dat nice-lookin fellow,_ I think immediately.

"Uhh...Mullet."

"Mullet?" Keith looks vaguely insulted. He pats his hair and I feel bad. I rush to fix it.

"Not in a bad way. You actually really rock that hairstyle; it makes me wonder why it ever went out of style. And it looks really good on you. Of course, once I get close enough to see your eyes-those odd speckles of purple in them, I would have to change it to Pretty Eyes."

My face heats up and I realize I might have said too much.

 _Smooth, Lizzy. Know he definitely knows._

 __But he shakes his head and smiles at me.

"What about me?" I can't help asking.

"You?" He studies me and I force myself to meet his eyes. "Curious One. Your eyes always take in everything except the obvious."

"The obvious?" I think back to the waiter.

"The obvious. Like how it's obvious how I feel when you're-"He shakes his head and decides against whatever he was going to say. "It's getting late, I should take you home."

I look at him confused but agree.


	12. Chapter 12

I open the door and Lance is waiting for me on the couch watching TV.

"So, how'd it go?" He asks as he mutes the show. I slump next to him and pick up the almost empty bag of chips he was eating.

"Good." I say munching.

"It doesn't sound good. Did he do anything-"

I cut him off and wave my hand.

"No he didn't. It just...It just was weird. One moment it was like normal and the next, he closed up." I finish the last of the chips. "We need more chips." I mutter and stand up to look for more.

Lance followes me and leans against the wall with his arms crossed.

A thought occurs to me and I turn around so fast he jumps a little.

"Did you tell him?"

"Tell him what?"

I struggle to find the right words.

"That I like him." I say at last. I feel childish. 'Like' is such an insufficient word to describe what I feel.

"Of course I didn't. " He seems a little hurt and I apologize.

"Of course I trust you. But why else would he be acting weird."

Lance closes his eyes and sighs.

"I hate to be the one to say this but do you think that the reason he's acting weird is because he likes you too?" I stare at him.

"No, no no no. He doesn't like me-"

"I can't believe I'm trying to convince you. But it's kinda obvious. I mean, haven't you seen him look at you when he thinks you're not looking during psych?"

Your eyes always take everything in except the obvious.

I shake my head. Now's not the time for false hope. I know just how devastating hope can be when you lose it. It almost broke me when I accepeted Dad wasn't coming back. I decide to change where this conversation is going.

"So, what about Emily, what are you guys doing?" At the mention of her name, his whole face lights up. It's kinda adorable in a sappy sort of way. I wonder if my face does that whenever someone mentions Keith.

"Oh! I have everything all planned. I'm taking to this fancy restaurant a town over. By the end of the night, I'm hoping for some smooching action. And now that we can officially date, I'm asking her to be my girlfriend. Which is where you come in." He looks at me and wiggles his eyebrows excitingly.

I blink. Lance is going to include me in another of his ridiculous (but surprisingly effective) plots.

"Can you please go to Emily's sleepover? She's having one with her friends and I convinced her to invite you. Once in-"

"Hold up. What?! Lance, I don't even know the girl."

"Which is why the sleepover is such an excellent bonding exercise!" He exclaims. I'm sure he has all his points covered. My brother looks so excited about his plan that I hate to disappoint him.

"Fine. But you owe me." He freezes then throws his hands up in triumph.

"Yes!" He squeezes me in a hug and I Iaugh.

"So what's the plan?" I ask when he lets me go.

"Basically, you're gonna make me look better than the pope. Albeit a completely datable pope who is really smooth with the ladies."

"If you're trying to get a girlfriend, you need to stop calling girls ladies." I tell him and he pouts.

"It's a respectable term." He protests.

"Not the way you say it." I point out.

He ignores me and continues on.

"So anyway, I wrote a script that you need to memorize by tomorrow evening. Let me bring it." He heads towards his room and I stop him.

"How did you even know I was going to agree to this?"

He kisses the top of my head- I hate that he's taller than me.

"'Cuz I have the best sister in the world." Lance gloats then rushes to his room. He brings back the script and shoves into my hands. I feel his eyes on me while I read.

I haven't even gotten to the second paragraph when I stop.

"Yeah, I'm not saying that."

"It's a good line." He protests.

"It doesn't even make sense. How could you have saved a lifeguard from drowning when you were only five?"

"I have excellent lungs."

"Yeah, no."

After school, I stretch on the field while waiting for everyone else to come. I've partially memorized Lance's ridiculous script for Emily's sleepover. But if anything, it's going to be really awkward. I can't believe I even agreed to to this; I wasn't exaggerating when I told him I didn't even know her.

"Hey." A voice says behind me. I immediately recognize it as Keith's. I smile and start to turn around.

"Hey." I fix my shirt and- oh my god. He's wearing his hair up. I've never called a boy pretty before, but he is. He's beautiful.

"Did I do it wrong?" He feels his hair. "I usually just do it to get the hair out of my eyes. Not for style. I don't even know why I care so much about it right now." He mutters the last part and I'm not sure I heard correct.

"No it looks good. I was just staring because...um..." Say something! "have you ever tried braiding your hair? It seems like it might work."

I internally groan.

Keith side-smiles."I've never thought of that. You're going to have do do it because I don't even know how."

It takes me a second to register Keith Kogane gave me permission to braid his hair.

"Really! Awesome! You know, I've always thought about braiding it but I can't believe you'll let me."

The last part slips out without thinking. Thankfully, he's already sitting down on the grass to pay attention to my comment. I go over and kneel behind him. I gently pull away the hair tie and begin to braid.

In the end, I discovered that, no, Keith's hair was not long enough to braid. But, yes, he still looks good in a small messy braid.

That boy looks good in anything.

He could be wearing a loud Hawaiian shirt and still look fine.

"Alright, here it is." Lance pulls up in front of Emily's house. It's already nine but from what I can make out from the house, it's really fancy. "Have fun and make me look good."

"Yeah, Pope. I can't believe I let you convince me." I mutter. "This is going to be so awkward."

He waves his hand. "Nah, you're going to be fine. Just say the lines throughout the night. "

I sigh loudly and get out the car. I turn around to him and he grins eagerly at me.

"Have fun, Lizzy." He waves and drives away.

I adjust the small overnight bag and head towards the door. Emily opens it with a smile.

"Lizzy! This is going to be so much fun. Come in, make yourself at home." I greet her back and step inside.

"Nice house." I say looking around. It's a tastefully decorated two story house. She beams at me. Something, I'm not sure what, about her expression seems fake.

"Thank you! Come, let's head up to my room. The others are already here. Do you know Eloise and Allie?" I nod. "They're my best friends, I'm sure you'll like them."

She opens the door to her room.

"Hey, Lizzy's here." The two girls smile at me and I feel uneasy.

"Hi." I give a small wave.

I stand there for an uncomfortable moment when an idea occurs. I turn to Emily.

"Do you mind if I use the restroom?" I ask.

"Yeah, it's the second door down the hall."

"Thanks." I walk out the room.

Once inside, I pull out my phone and click it screen remains dark and I curse.

Why didn't I bring a charger?

I look around the bathroom in hope but my heart sinks as I find none. I look at my street clothes. Should I change into my pajamas? In the end, I decide against it and start to head back to the room.

Emily's door is ajar and I can hear their hushed conversation. I'm about to walk in when I hear someone sneer my name.

"Why did you have to bring her here? She's so weird. And oh my god did you see her face when she came here? Is she always that awkward?" I recognize the voice as Eloise's. My eyes narrow.

Emily speaks up. "I had to. Lance asked me to invite her. And I have to keep things good with him. I have a D in AP psychology. Once he helps me get it up to an A, then I won't have to be forced to laugh at his stupid jokes." An ugly dark feeling rears up in me.

"He's kinda cute, though. Isn't he?" A timid third voice, Allie, volunteers.

Emily scoffs. "Please, I can't stand his personality. It's so lame."

That's enough.

I throw open the door and glare at the three girls. Allie jumps a little but the other two stare at me coolly.

"Hey Lizzy." Emily has the nerve to smile.

"You don't deserve Lance." I glare at her. "What he ever sees in a She-Devil like you, I don't know. But if you ever speak to my brother again, I will make you regret ever talking to him."

All pretense of innocence is gone and she raises an eyebrow.

"I have him wrapped around my pinky. He won't listen to his dorky sister. Besides, genius, we're partnered up. He has to talk to me."

I glare at her and say the only words that are appropriate.

"You utter asshat." I turn to Eloise and flip her off. "Fuck you too." Allie flinches a little when I glare at her. "You're cool."

Before they can say anything else, I turn around and slam the door behind me. I make it to the front door before I feel the onslaught of tears. I wipe them angrily away as I walk down the street towards the direction I think my house is at.

It takes me several blocks to realize that my phone is dead so I can't call Lance. I have no money on me so the chance for a taxi goes out the window. And my house was twenty minutes from Emily's by car.

I slow down and take in my surroundings. I've entered the 'bad' section of town but I'm too proud to go back and ask if I can make a call.

And I call Lance reckless. At least he's never stormed into the dangerous section of town at night with no protection.

Protection.

The spray!

I rummage around my bag until I wrap my fingers around a small cylinder.

Now, with the pepper spray held tightly in my hand, I walk the streets a little more confidently


	13. Chapter 13

From inside my coat pocket, I grip the pepper spray tightly in my hand. Lance gave me the defense weapon last Christmas; he said it was to "spice up the food I make when I go off to college". I accepted the gift with gratitude; Lance has always been protected of us ever since Dad died; he just had odd ways of showing it.

Still, the pepper spray gives me comfort today. These streets aren't known for their safety. Since November of last year, there have been three widely publicized murders and no doubt others that have been under the media's radar. Incredibly, there was also a beheading; the murderer was found a few weeks later and claimed insanity.

My eyes dart around as I turn left into a badly lit street. I know this part of town well. When we were little, our mom used to take Lance and me to the park a few blocks away from here.

But that was in broad daylight; at night, it's a completely different story. As I walk, I peer into the alleys; part of me is taking into account the chance of any attack, part of me is simply curious what I'll find. Still, most of the alleys are too dark to see more than a few meters in.

My blood boils when I think of Emily but I force myself not to dwell on her. These streets are dangerous enough without adding to my distraction.

As I reach the end of this street, I glance down to road and get ready to cross when I stop dead.

To my right is a motorcycle. The black and red vehicle sits innocently on the curb.

A lot of people have Keith's bike. It's not as if it's costumed made.

My eyes wander to the fuel tank.

"Ideas are bulletproof" the sticker reads.

V for Vendetta, my brain helpfully supplies.

Keith.

"What are you doing here?" I question the bike. The motorcycle thankfully doesn't answer; I wouldn't know what to do if it did.

I hear a muffled yell from the alley ahead of me. Without thinking, I run towards the entrance to the alley.

And walk right into a fight. I barely have time to step aside as a man gets pushed out into the street. From the alley, there are yells and grunts and punches fall. The man who fell down, stands shakily up and spares me no glance as he runs back in.

"I can do this all day!" If I had any reservations before, they go flying out the window as I recognize Keith's voice. I pull out my pepper spray and step deep into the alley.

"Leave him alone." It's two to three. A man stands in front of the struggling Kieth while two men stand behind him securing his arms. My eyes quickly find Keith's and I barely have time to register their surprise when one of the men advances towards me. I stand my ground and raise my pepper spray. "Stand back. You don't know what you're dealing with."

"You shouldn't have come here, little girl." His deep voice warns.

He's five feet away and not stopping. I aim the spray and press down the button. There is only a small hiss but the effect is immediate. The man falls downs and yells in pain as he clutches his eyes.

"I've already called the cops. Take your buddy and leave." I tell the two other men as I step towards them. One looks at the fallen man questionably but the other just laughs.

"I don't see why we don't kill two birds with one stone, huh Frank." He keeps his eyes on me as he lets go of Keith. He gives his partner a glance. "Hold him tight."

"Make it quick, Ramses. It's not as if the boy's an easy one."

"Oh, I will." The man who I take to be Ramses says as he pulls out a switchback from his pocket. My heart accelerates at the show of the weapon.

Keith struggles against the beefy arms of the man.

"Let me go." He growls. "You're dead if you touch her."

I raise the pepper spray upwards again but I know it's useless. He won't fall for the same weapon twice. And it's true, he covers his eyes with the crook of his elbow and keeps advancing. I hear Keith struggling as I search for a way out. A flash of insight hits me.

I take the remaining steps towards him and kick him in the crotch. His hands fly down and I bring the spray up. The gas is released but still he does not fall down. The man blinks painfully and swings his arm in a clumsy move. I jolt back and bring my arms up in defense. I'm not quick enough. The knife slices my arm and I cry out loud.

The spray, you stupid girl. Use the pepper spray. Again, I bring the small can up and don't even bother to aim. The arc of the spray catches him full in the face and this time, he does fall to the floor clutching his face.

Ahead, Keith grunts as the man behind him falls to the floor unconscious.

"What are you doing here?" He demands. "You could get hurt." He takes a step towards me then his arm flies out and leans against the wall. His other hand wraps itself around his chest and my stomach turns.

"Oh god, are you hurt?" I close the distance between us and notice the details I have not before. His face is pale and bruised. There is a cut on his scalp that paints a river of blood down his face. But worse of all, the hand that is on his ribs is dripping blood.

"We have to get you to a hospital. Can you walk?" He nods weakly and I wrap his arm over my shoulder. We weave around the fallen men and Keith mumbles something.

"What did you say?" I ask, breathless.

"Not the hospital. My house."

"Are you kidding? You are going to a hospital. You just got stabbed."

He looks at me and his dark eyes pierce me. "It's just a cut. I'll tell you where to go. Just not the hospital... please."

The men in the alley groan; the spray's effects aren't going to last very long.

My phone is dead. I can't even call an ambulance.

"Fine."

His free hand reaches into his pocket and he pulls out his keys. My mind blanks as he hands them to me. His blood smears my hands.

"Keith, I can't drive a motorcycle."

"Sorry, Bird, it's the only choice we have." Bird? "In a few minutes they'll be awake. In my state, if I try to drive, I'll kill us both. You have to do it. It's just like riding a bike."

"Keith...I can't." My voice wavers. This is a hopeless situation. I feel like crying.

"You can. You're the bravest girl I know." I take a deep breath and for five seconds, relax.

I can do this.

My hands tighten around his own. "Listen, you are going to tell me exactly how to work this. Then you are going to tell me where to go. And most of all, you are not going to die. Got that?"

"Yes, Bird."


	14. Chapter 14

Keith wraps his arms around me. As he speaks quietly, his breath smells like blood.

"Put the keys in the ignition. Do you know how to do that?"

"Keith, this is no time for sarcasm. What now?"

"Pull the right hand grip towards you." I do and the bike moves forward at an incredible speed it takes my breath away. The motorcycle wheels dangerously to the left and I realize that this will be a pretty stupid way to die.

"Wait! I never said to go! The right lever is the brake!" My fingers shoot out and pull the brake just before we hit a stationary car. Keith exclaims a series of curses that would have had my mother wash his mouth with soap.

"Carefully this time. Don't scratch Natasha." Gently, I twist the hand grip towards me and we slowly travel down the street.

"Natasha?" He huffs.

"Yes, from Black Widow-"

A gunshot rings out and blows out a side mirror.

"Come back, we're not finished!" I hear a yell behind us.

"Go!" Keith yells.

I gun it and we are out of the street in seconds. I thank whatever god there is that there are no cars going down the street this night.

Because talking while driving is not only dangerous but futile, Keith taps the direction we have to go on my side. I don't even ask him how to change the directionals. All I need are the accelerator and break. And, at this point, it would probably be a relief to get pulled over by a cop.

Where his chest touches my back, I can feel his blood begin to spread. My heart accelerates and it's not because of the motorbike.

The bike veers out of control and I straighten it before we crash. More slowly now, I keep driving.

I find that as I drive, if I don't focus on the fact that I'm actually driving a motorcycle, then I don't panic. As Keith leads me towards the richer part of town, his taps are getting less forceful. I feel him starting to slump. He's so quiet for a few streets that I'm afraid he's passed out but he squeezes me shoulder and I slow to an awkward stop.

My heart beats furiously inside my chest as I slowly get off the bike. I actually drove a motorcycle.

"Good job." Keith throws a leg over the bike and stands swaying for a second. He offers me a shaky smile and then his knees give out and I catch him heavily before he hits the floor. I throw his arm around me and hold him steady. He's still conscious but just barely.

"Keith! Stay with me. We're here; now what?"

"Backyard. Second door to your left. Door's open." He mumbles.

With him leaning on me, I walk heavily towards the gate leading to the backward. Throughout it, I try to keep him awake. "You know, Keith, has anyone told you that you're a terrible role model?" I reach the door to his house and open it. I takes me a moment to find the light switch and when I do, I'm surprised by the enormous size of his room. "I mean, getting shanked, fighting three grown men, letting a girl who has never even touched the accelerator to ride your bike; these are all terrible influences on people." I lead him to his bed and help him sit down.

"Yet you're still here." He says this so quietly I'm not even sure I heard him right.

"Yes, well, surprise. Where's your first aid kit?" He nods to a door to my right. I run to it and find that it opens to a bathroom. I take the opportunity to wash my hands thoroughly with soap; the last thing he needs is an infection. It takes me a moment to find it but when I do, Keith has already taken off his bloody shirt.

"Whoa, you gotta take me on a date first. Then, we'll talk about this." The joke comes automatic as I take in the wound. It's below his right collar-bone; not long but deep. I rummage the small medical kit until I find some gloves and put them on.

"I think I just might." He says. I look up at him and find his eyes on me. He's paler than he was before but at least he can sit up. I'm not liking the amount of blood that soaks the discarded shirt.

"What?" I look back down and take into account what I need. Those damn hospital shows don't go into detail on how to stop a bleeding knife wound. It's all about romantic plots-

"Take you on a date."

"You are delirious. Probably in shock. What you need right now is a hospital not some girl who knows all her medical knowledge thanks to a T.V. show."

I pick some towel-looking cleaner and alcohol. Standing in front his shirtless self, I try to focus only on the wound.

"That is probably true. But it doesn't make my statement any less heartfelt." Keith winces as I rub in the alcohol-soaked towel but doesn't utter a sound. "The school project was sort of a date. But it isn't enough. Not for you."

Being back in his room sitting down has brough him back from the verge of unconsciousness. Hopefully, I can keep him awake. As I disinfect him, he looks at me; which is a little nerve-wreaking considering this is the first time I've had to patch up a bleeding friend.

"You look cute when you're worried. You're eyebrows get all scrunched up and your eyes narrow." He remarks.

Oh yeah, definitely shock.

"Aren't your moms going to ground you when they see you half bleeding to death with a girl in your room?" I ask to distract him from the pain.

"I'm 'bleeding to death' and you think they're going to be worried about a girl in my room?" He attempts to laugh but blanches. "They are on a conference in LA. Won't be back until tomorrow night. And I'm not dying; I can die after our date."

I can't pretend that I've never imagined Keith asking me out but not when I'm panicking over him being stained with his blood. Not like this.

I take some gauze and wrap it around him until I'm sure it adds enough pressure. Now that the most important injury is in order, I look at his head wound; no doubt the source of all his comments.

"Do you always get this flirty when you have almost died?" I ask him as I dab the cut on his hairline.

"Bird, you do realize I'm very much alive right now. I am the epitome of human physique."

"Why do you call me 'bird'?" I ask as I put a band-aid on it. It probably needs stitches but this idiot of a boy didn't want a hospital.

"I do?"

"...yes. I think we should go to the hospital. At least to get them to take a look at your head." I walk to the bathroom and wet a towel. When I return, he looks thoughtful and I toss him the towel. "Here, so you can clean yourself up."

"When you're up in the air during practice, there's something about you- something alive. The first time I ever saw you jump, I was amazed; I could have sworn you were a bird." He smiles at me."I've been calling you 'Bird' in my mind ever since."

I feel myself blush and I look away which is unfortunate because Keith chooses that second to pass out.


	15. Chapter 15

"Damn it!" I curse as I run to him. Thankfully, he is spread on the bed and not of the floor because at this point, I don't have the strength to pick him up. The wounds are not bleeding anymore so I blame the lack of consciousnesses on the head wound and the previous blood loss.

"Keith, come on, wake up." I pat his cheek gently at first but with more urgency as he fails to wake up. I briefly consider calling the ambulance and my phone is on my hand to do so when I remember Keith's protest. And that it's battery is dead.

Suddenly, I get irrational angry at Keith for making everything so complicated. Why couldn't he go to the hospital like a normal person?

Why was he even in that part of town?

Do you have any idea how dangerous he is? Lance's words repeat themselves in my head.

I don't.

What if what happened in the alley was more than just a random mugging? That might explain his refusal to go the hospital. Paired with the bullet holes in his motorcycle, they might even bring in the cops. Those men looked more than just some addicted junkies looking to get money for their fix...

I shake my head and dispel the thoughts. That just sounds paranoid. Even to me. Besides, he doesn't need me to question him right now; what he does need is help.

I look at his blood-stained chest. Then at the towel. My stomach sinks as I realize that with Keith incapacitated, I will have to clean him up. That thought alone brings me back to trying to rouse him.

"Come on, Kieth. Don't make me clean you up like a creeper person." Still, he remains...well, still.

I ask myself why exactly am I so reluctant to touch him.

Well...It's awkward.

I wouldn't be this awkward if it were someone else. A voice whispers.

"Shut up." I mutter as I pick up the wet towel. I pace around for a few minutes half hoping he wakes up. But when he doesn't, I sit down besides him and start on the part closest to the wound. "You know, I want to be a veterinarian." I tell him as I clean. "And here you force me to work with people. That's exactly why I chose to be an animal doctor. Humans are just so... complicated."

Wow, he has abs.

"Um... Where was I? Right. Humans. I mean when do you see an animal complain about every little thing? I guess where I'm getting at is the talking; animals don't talk, which is why they are better than humans." The towel is turning a reddish pink but at least he's half clean now. I keep on talking to distract myself.

"Do you have any pets? I guess I would have heard them by now. You probably have fish; your moms sound like fish people. But a fish isn't really a pet unless it's bigger than you. You know, when I was little, I used to imagine having a killer whale as a pet like Free Willy. But then as I grew up, I realized that they don't get their name by being nice and giving kids rides on their backs."

"You scared me today." I say after a moment. "In fact, you're still scaring me. For all I know, you have slipped into a coma and roam this room like a ghost." I force a laugh and reach for his wrist to check his pulse. His skin is warmer now than it was an hour ago, which I take it as a good sign.

I wipe the remaining of the blood and stand up and examine him. If someone were to walk in, they'll find me with blood on my hands standing over a body.

Not a comforting thought.

I leave the soiled towel in his bathroom shower and wash my hands. The cut on my arm isn't so deep so I clean that up too.

Throughout all of the last couple hour's events, the failed slumber party suddenly doesn't seem so important anymore.

Yes, people can be vile and cruel.

I glance at Keith. But there are also brave and kind people.


	16. Chapter 16

I settle down on his revolving chair and get comfortable. As far as Mom and Lance know, I'm still at Emily's. I doubt she will tell Lance that I left; then she'll have to explain why. So until noon-ish tomorrow, I have an excuse.

I still can't believe all that has happened in these last few hours. Still, my mind can't help wondering to what what Emily said about Lance. It's true what she said; she does have him wrapped around her pinkie. But surely Lance will listen to the truth, right?

Knowing my brother, I know it it'll be harder to convince him of the truth despite the fact that it's right in front of him. I fume silently. It was right in front of me. I should have known. I've made up my mind, no matter what, Lance will know I speak the truth.

A soft groan distracts me as Keith shifts in his bed. It appears that he's not so much unconscious but asleep.

The easy rise and fall of his chest comforts me. I managed to wrap him in the blanket that was underneath him. So far, well, as far as my medical knowledge goes, I think he's doing well. Although this whole night has been one danger after the other, right now, in the coziness of his room, my eyes begin to droop.

I curl in around myself to warm up. The sweater I was wearing was stained in Keith's blood so I took it off and put on the tank top that I would have worn as a pajama top had the sleepover gone according to plan.

I'll close my eyes for a little bit. Ten minutes. That's all...

The smell of food wakes me.

It's not like in the movies where, upon waking in a strange place, the characters can't recall where they're at. I know exactly where I am; but the morning light coming through the window is a little disorientating.

I haven't meant to stay asleep that long.

My eyes dart to the bed-the empty bed. I bolt up and a something warm falls from my shoulder. A blanket. Keith must've wrapped it around me. I pick it up and stroke it; it's soft, I wonder why I didn't wake up. From the room's open door, I hear Keith humming along to a song on the radio.

Annoyance causes me to stalk towards where Keith must be. I find him standing with his back towards me making, what smells like, eggs. He's already dressed in his usual jeans and t-shirt.

"What do you think you're doing?" He doesn't turn around.

"Making breakfast."

"You were majorly wounded just yesterday!" I splutter. "You need to go back to bed."

"I'm fine. And it was only a scratch." A noise of utter disbelief escapes me. I consider dragging him away but even injured, he's still stronger than me. Keith turns around and his cheeks flush pink. He focuses on the breakfast once more. "Eh...Besides, I haven't passed out." With a rush of warmth to my face, I realize that I've never worn something as revealing as the tank top around him. I struggle to muster the annoyance I felt not ten seconds ago.

"A scratch. People don't pass out from just a scratch!" I walk around to him and examine the food. I can't help but feel impressed. Keith has somehow made something as plain as eggs smell like the greatest meal ever. "Smells good."

"Of course it does. Sit down, it's done."

A little while later, as we finish the food, I gather the courage to ask him what's been bothering me.

"Keith," I say. He looks up and does that head jerk thing that boys are so fond of doing. "What were you even doing in that alley? I need the truth. If you respect me as your friend, at least give me that."

He looks as if he already knew I would ask that and nods carefully.

"I shouldn't tell you." I cock my head and he relents. "Those guys that you saw, they are what people call...smugglers. I contact them for building material that Pidge usually uses for her machines; she can't find certain parts legally in the United States. They're usually not as dangerous to deal with. She's an old friend of mine, her parents adopted me for a while before Barbara and Daniel."

"But why the smugglers? Isn't there another way to get the parts?" I'm taking this surprisingly well considering the circumstances. I guess with Keith, I've learned to expect the unexpected. He shrugs.

"No. Well, there are some materials but they're well protected at a government facility in Nevada."

I nod. Okay, I understand. Definitely not what I would have imagined but okay.

"I've told the truth. Now it's your turn." I look up at him confused and he gives me a meaningful look. "What were you doing in that part of town?" I was hoping he wouldn't ask that.

"It was a sleepover gone wrong." He moves his hand in a go on gesture. I'm careful not to name names. "Lance convinced me to sleep over with his crush and her friends to get a few good words in about him."

"Figures." He mutters. "Lance will even use his own sister to flirt with a girl."

I can't help being defensive over my brother.

"Hey, I was the one who agreed to it. So he wasn't manipulating me. Besides, if anyone is at fault here, it's the girl. She's leading him on to get a better grade in a class; so when I found out, I kinda cussed at them and stormed out." He looks impressed.

"And I was walking my anger off when I found you. Good thing I did because you were getting your ass whooped." He makes and undignified noise and I laugh.

"I was holding my own." He protests.

"Does 'holding your own; include getting beat up and shanked?"

"There was a plan that was about to come into effect."

"Which was..."

"You came in before I can come up with it." He laughs.

Keith stops a block away from my house just in case Lance or my Mom happen to look out the window. Despite my protests, he insisted he felt well enough to drive. I get off and relish the feel of Keith's sweater. It was chilly outside and my jacket was still stained in his blood so he let me borrow his sweater. While riding in his bike. I resisted the urge to smell it to see if it smelled like him.

"So," He says. Is it my imagination or does Keith Kogane look nervous? "I remember what I said last night."

What did he say-oh. Shit. I look away flustered and he continues on.

"Can I take you on that date?" I freeze and look at him to see if he's joking. His expression is serious but hopeful.

He likes you. That thought leaves me breathless.

"Y-yeah. You can." I stammer. A wide smile lights up his face.

"Is tomorrow after school fine?" I nod numbly. "Great! I'll-um- see you then."

Before I know it, he's already off. I stare after him.

Then it hits me. Keith asked me out!

I didn't imagine that did I?

I start walking home with the stupidest smile on my face.


	17. Chapter 17

"Can I take you one a date?"

Could I have imagined it all? I move my food around with a fork. Even my imagination isn't that active. I remember his disheveled hair during breakfast. The way that his groggy face smiled at me.

"You're smiling." Lance says. I look up and quickly wipe the smile off my face.

"I was?"

"Yeees. Where did you get that jacket from? I haven't seen it before. Did Emily let you borrow it? Oooh, can I smell it!" He's already standing up when I hold a hand up.

Here it goes.

"Lance. I need to tell you something." I shift around my chair and try to figure out the best way to word this. "Emily is using you."

He shakes his head and laughs a bit.

"What? Come on, that's low. Even for you."

"It's true. I overheard her during the sleepover. She's leading you on to improve her psych grade."

He rolls his eyes in annoyance.

He's not going to believe me, I think with a sinking heart.

"Is this payback for Keith? You just don't want me to be with her, do you? Just like I don't want you to be with him."

"No! I'm not doing it to spite you, you idiot. I'm telling the truth."

He lets out a sarcastic laugh. "The truth? Like telling me you were seeing Keith after school? That truth? Or how about how he is totally courting you. Please. This is nothing but your little revenge complex; I remember what you did to my legos when I insulted your teddy bear. How stupid do you think I am."

I stand up and look him in the eye.

"I'm. Not. Lying." I spit out. He lifts an eyebrow. Despite his carefree act, I can tell he's angry. His voice always gets lower; he doesn't even realize he does it.

"Prove it. If I can't be with Emily, then you can't be with Keith." He barks a short laugh at my expression and turns around. I can hear him mutter as he walks off. "You can dish it out but can't take it."

It takes me two seconds to decide.

I can't believe I am even considering this.

"Fine. I'll do it." Lance turns around incredulously and my resolve hardens. There is no way I'm leaving him with that witch. No matter what. "If that's what it takes, so be it."

"Just like that?" He splutters. I nod. "But you like him. I've seen the way you look at him."

"I wasn't lying. She's a bitch. Do you really think I'm letting my little brother be her pawn?"

He stares at me and I know he must be in shock because he doesn't even correct his seniority. After a few seconds, he slumps down back into his chair.

"She's using me. All this time?" I nod and walk behind his chair to put my arms around him.

"There are plenty of other girls who like you." I tell him.

"Who?" The pout on his voice is completely detectable.

"Umm..." A face flashes through my mind. "Allie. Her friend. I could tell she was against the whole thing from the beginning."

"Allie? She likes me? Well, I guess she's kinda cute; I've never really considered it."

He sits up so quickly his head hits my chin.

"I have a plan!" He declares triumphantly. "And I have a feeling you're going to like it."


	18. Chapter 18

My heart pounds as the final bell rings. I shakily pick up my backpack and make my way out the door, looking at my phone as I do.

Meet me at the parking lot.

I can't help grinning at my phone at the sight of Keith's text. Today is the day; our first date. A giddy feeling rises up from my stomach and it turns into anxiety as I see Lance. My brother waits unsmiling at the gate.

Lance took the news surprisingly well; but he insisted on talking to Keith first. And my mother also wants to meet him whenever the opportunity arises. I try not to think about the awkwardness that is to come.

"Are you sure about this?" Lance asks as soon as I'm close enough. I try to keep the smile from my face as I nod. A sudden thought come to me.

"You better not say anything embarrassing." I plead. "Please."

"Don't worry I have a speech all planned out. I'll mention the fact that you had a plush tiger you never parted with for like twelve years after telling him the whole 'you better not hurt her speech'. That'll show him who's alpha." I push him lightly as we walk towards the senior parking lot.

"You wouldn't dare." I say and he smiles tightly.

"My little sister going on a date before I could. I never saw that coming."

"We both didn't." I agree. We make a quick stop to our car so I can drop off my backpack. "When I get back, we'll work on the Emily plan. There's still a few details we need to straighten out."

"Of course. I still can't believe you were willing to give up Keith for me." He tells me as he closes the car door. He tilts his head and shows his trademark 'I'mthegreatestperson' smile. "Aw, you do love me."

"Of course I do," I smile. " It would be stupid to dislike the person that looks almost exactly like me." I'm about to add more when I see Keith waiting in front of his motorcycle and for a moment, I have to remind myself to breath.

I shot him a quick text a while ago.

Lance wants to talk to you.

"Not too late to back out." Lance says as we near him. I don't respond, already too focused on Keith.

He straightens up as soon as he sees us. He can't help smiling when he sees me but he looks at Lance and nods civilly.

"Hello Lance." He extends his arm and my brother shakes it after a moment.

"Mullet." Lance greets and I kick his shoe. "Keith. What are your intentions with my sister?"

So we're doing this. I fight the urge to roll my eyes. Keith blinks as after a second starts to respond.

"I, um... I intend to take her on a date. Lance, I know we've had some bad history between us but I'd like to put it aside as best we can." Lance looks a bit confused but hides it as best he can; which is pretty crappy. "Can we start over?"

Lance blinks.

"Um wow. Just...okay. Don't go expecting me to fangirl over you every time you flip your hair."

My cheeks heat up and I throw him a look which he promptly ignores.

"I would never want you to do that." Keith says immediately and I cough to cover my laugh. The two just look at me.

"It's dusty out here." I tell them.

"We'd better get going." Keith tells me. "We have to be there soon."

He nods at Lance and gestures for me to come. I turn to my brother and throw my arms around him. He stumbles back at the sudden weight.

"Thank you." I tell him. "I'll see you later."

I take in the view as the city turns to suburbs and the suburbs began to fill up once more with people and buildings. Despite the slight warmth, the sun stays hidden behind an overcast sky. I take a good look at the buildings, trying to see if I can guess where we're going. It takes me a while but I realize I know this way, if we keep going straight we'll reach the ocean. I lean against Keith as I shiver.

The ocean. God, it must be years since I've been to the beach. I have a sneaking suspicion that's exactly where we're going. I don't have the heart to ask Keith. He'll see the look on my face and know something's wrong; it will ruin everything. I don't want to tell him I know exactly how long it's been since I've touched its sand. Ten years.

After dad's death, the ocean lost its sense of wonder. In it's stead, all I could picture were ships disappearing beneath the crushing weight of the water.

Despite this, Lance hasn't lost his love for the beach. He escapes to it whenever he has a chance to; which is every other week if he can help it; it's his way of keeping Dad's memory alive. The both of us went there two days after the funeral. Mom like me, couldn't stand it but Lance kept coming because he found pieces of Dad in the never-ending waves and the thing is, I felt them too. There, in the bubbling surf was my father-his memory lives on in his children. I just couldn't bear coming back to the place where it took my father away. My brother gave up trying to convince me to come with him years ago-he knows me too well.

We get off the freeway and start going down a familiar street. The four of us always used to head this way, it was free from the crowds of tourists and lead to a semi-hidden section of the beach. I'm not that surprised that Keith would know where it is.

And here I am, after years of avoiding it, going toward it with a boy I have only truly known for a month.

He's more than just a boy, I tell myself. He's...Well, he's Keith. And that's enough.

As we near, I start seeing the bright blue sections of ocean peeking out from between houses. My heart quickens.

Here I am, Dad. It's been a while hasn't it?

We park in a semi-empty lot and I tear my eyes from the beach. I find Keith's eyes one me and my face heats up.

"So what's the plan?" I ask him and Keith grins mysteriously.

"Guess you just have to find out, Bird. Come on." He adjusts his backpack and holds out his hand. I take it without hesitation.


	19. Chapter 19

"Here we are." He says next to me. I look up at the black rocks. My eyes follow the potential foot and hand rests to make it to the top. I wonder what's so special up there. "Step where I step."

Keith starts climbing up and before I know it, he's already reached the top. He pokes his head out and his hair falls down around his face. I catch my breath when I see him.

"It's not that high up." He calls down from fifteen feet up. I shake my head and my mind clears.

"Easy for you to say." I mutter as I start climbing up.

When I get to the top, I see the sea to my left, stretching out forever. The rock in front of me is this huge flat boulder that looks big enough for someone to lay down comfortably. This entire top looks deceptively smaller from the ground; and, I notice, it conveniently has another rock that crops up which seems to me like an excellent backrest. But what catches my attention the most is Keith who is spreading a blanket on the rock. Immediately, I know what the date it.

"Whoa, a picnic? I love picnics!" He grins up at me. I move away from the edge.

"I thought you would." Keith sits down on the corner and starts getting out the food from his backpack. I sit down to help him. It's sandwiches but they are artfully made. My mouth waters at the sight of them.

"You should have told me, I could have contributed. Granted, my cooking skills are not the best but I could have bought something from the store and passed it off as my work." He laughs and I smile to myself.

I love his laugh- the way that he seems to be himself when he's around me. The way I am myself when I'm around him.

"You wouldn't believe how many times I had to start over because the toast wasn't cooked right." He says as we start eating. The sandwiches are probably the best I have ever tasted and I tell him so. I lean back against the wall and picture Kieth running around the kitchen making the sandwiches. I wonder how many times he had to start over because the bread wasn't right.

"Why are you smiling?" He asks me.

"I am? I was just picturing you running back and forth the kitchen with your moms wondering what the hell has gotten into you."

"Well, I couldn't have your first impression of my sandwiches to taste awful."

"Aww, you do care." I lean against him- only meaning to do so for a moment but decide to stay there. He tenses at first then relaxes after a couple of seconds and we continue to eat out food in a comfortable silence.

The warm sun fends off the water's coldness but despite the warmth, there is only a couple people walking around the beach.

"This place is like a fortress." I tell him. "Like, I wouldn't think to look up here if I was walking down there. How did you find it?"

"Remember Pidge? She used to live here before she moved to our town. Apparently, there is a great signal here- she works with electronics and comes here to test them out."

"How did you guys meet each other?" I ask curious. He seems to gather all his thoughts together before saying anything. I shift to get a comfortable position; knowing Keith's way with stories, this is going to be a good one.

"I have this friend, Shiro, who works for the air-force. He's actually a really close friend, I knew him when my dad was still alive. So, Pidge's brother and her father work with him as scientists- he flies them up to these exotic places to study whatever they're assigned to study and Shiro protects them. I can't tell you how many time those three have gotten in trouble with the natives. One time, they went to this spot in Central America to study this frog who was previously thought to be extinct when all of a sudden, this tribe came from nowhere convinced that Shiro was their messiah..."

His eyes light up when he talks about his friends and I keep asking him questions about them to keep that light alive


	20. Chapter 20

"Favorite color?" I ask.

"I don't have one." Keith responds and I gasp.

"What! How could you not have one?" I turn around and look at him. He rolls his eyes but a smile tugs at his lips. My eyes stay there but I quickly look away flustered and rub my nose- a giveaway that I know damn well that is obvious but I can never seem to stop it.

"Fine. Sunset red."

"Good choice. Mine's grass green." I look around to see if I can find an example of the specific shade but find none.

"Okay," he says next to me. "Favorite...I'm definitely going to enjoy this. Your favorite book."

I fake glare at him.

"Do you have any idea how hard this is going to be? I cannot choose favorites over my children."

"If there was a fire, and you could only save one book, which one. And why."

"That's-that's evil." I splutter and his amusement only grows. I struggle to find a way around it. "I guess I would have to pull a Fahrenheit 451 and burn with them." Kieth bursts out laughing and I try to memorize this moment. His eyes crinkle and he throws his head backwards-far enough to accidentally hit his head on the rock behind us.

"No, that doesn't count." He says as he rubs his head. I try not to laugh. "Choose one."

"One. Just one? Can it be a series?"

"No." I think for a moment but there really is not contest.

"Fine. Okay. There is this one book about faeries and trolls and clever human boys. Ha, that rhymed. It sounds kind of childish but it's actually hella cool."

"I fully support your choice but I do not approve of your unironic use of the word 'hella'." I bump his shoulder playfully.

"My dad gave me that book." I tell him after a few seconds. "Just before he died."

"He died when you were eight, right?"

"Seven," I correct. " He was in the Navy- an engineer. His ship went down at sea."

I immediately know I fucked up. Shock freezes his face and he runs his hands through his hair.

"Jesus. I am so stupid. I couldn't have taken you to a worse spot." I rush to reassure him.

"No, it's not your fault. It really isn't. Please don't worry about it." I wrap my hand over his and squeeze it. I tighten my grip until he looks at me."I need to thank you actually. It's been years since I've come here. I've missed it." I find that I am actually being honest. I have missed this. Here, in the spot of so many memories, they somehow stand out more brightly than before.

I finally understand why Lance comes here so often. Somewhere hidden in the sand and water, my father is still here. Because I remember. That's what keeps him alive.

"Gods, I have been so stupid." I share with him my moment of revelation. "Coming here doesn't make things worse. It makes them better."

I tighten my hand and stand up.

"Come on, I want to see if the water is as cold as I remember."

I take my shoes off and throw them somewhere behind me. Once at the edge, I roll my jeans up to my knees. The water washes over my bare feet and I laugh in delight. I have missed this.

"Oh my god, it's so cold." I tell Keith. He stands behind me and moves back a little as the water reaches him. I keep on wading deeper in until my thighs are soaked. "Keith! Look! A fish!"

I look in awe at the huge fish not two feet away from me. This is the first time I have ever seen a fish so close to shore.

"Look! Did you see it?" I turn to him, my eyes wide. "It was so big!"

He looks at me...in fondness? Before I can decide, his expression goes to its usual teasing self and he crosses his arms.

"A fish? In the ocean? Whoa, no way." I narrow my eyes playfully and splash him.

"That was rude." I tell him. "Come on, it's not that cold." I take another step to prove it.

He starts taking off his shoes then straightens.

"Hold on, I forgot something. I'll be right back."

"Okay, can you bring my phone?"He nods and jogs back to the rock twenty feet away.

There is no way I am letting this day pass unphotographed.

I turn my attention back to the ocean and look at the never ending horizon in front of me. Better than I remember. I keep on inching forward until the bottom of my shirt is wet.

"Eh, what the hell." I dive down and submerse myself in the cold water. After a few seconds, my body gets used to it and I burst out the water laughing.

"I was literally gone for two minutes." I hear. I discover with a start that I went farther into the water than I thought. "How could you have gone that far in two minutes."

"It's not that cold once you're all the way in." I call out to him. "What did you get anyway?"

"Come and see."

Curiosity gets the better of me and I make my way towards him.

"What is it?" Water runs down into my eyes and I blink it away. I shake my hands in the air to get them try dry faster then give up and grab my phone. "Hang on, let's take a picture."

Before he can say anything, I am by his side and raise up the phone.

"Say 'dank memes'." I snap the picture. I gasp when an idea comes to me. "Oh my god, we should dab."

"What?"

"Yeah, you know..." I demonstrate and he shakes his head. Too much time with my brother has corrupted me.

"We are not doing that."

"Fine." I huff. "Wait, what did you go back for?"

I notice that one hand is hidden behind his back. He moves it and brings out a mason jar.

"I talked to Lance beforehand, he told me that you used to collect sand from all the beaches you went to. It was your little tradition."

He hands it to me and I gingerly wrap my fingers around it.

"I haven't thought about this in ages." I whisper shocked. I am touched by this simple glass jar; enough to move me to tears. I blink them away and pretend it's just the seawater running into my eyes. "Thank you, Keith."

I look up at him and smile thankfully. I take in his eyes and snap a picture of him like this. With the ocean to his back looking for all the world like the loveliest most wonderful boy ever.

"You looked too nice to not take a picture." I explain, a little embarrassed. "Okay, I need to find the perfect spot to get the sand from. You are going to regret giving this to me. I used to to take hours searching for the perfect sand." I grin half apologetically at him.

"I would never regret spending time with you." His face reddens and he laughs softly. "I'm starting to sound like your brother."

"He isn't as smooth as you." I tell him as we start walking. It feels good, more natural, to finally be honest around him. It was exhausting having to hide my feelings towards him.

"That was as smooth as sandpaper,Bird." He protests lightly. "Even I know that."

"Perhaps, but you can repeat the dictionary and it would still be interesting."


	21. Chapter 21

"Now do you regret going into the freezing water during winter?" Keith asks besides me.

"No. I saw a fish." My teeth chatter and I wrap his jacket closer to me. "And I got my sand."

I hold the full jar up triumphantly but quickly set it down because of the cold. The sun is already setting down in front of us-what we've been waiting for. Besides me, Keith gives off warmth like a radiator. Who would have known he was so warm?

"I'll try to get Shiro to get you sand. He's in a small village in Asia right now and should be back in three weeks."

"What! Really? Can I meet him?" I feel him nod.

"Yeah, he really wants to meet you too."

I turn around and look at his face. It's red. And it's not because of the sun's dying light.

"You talk to him about me?"

"I-umm. Yeah. Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?" He says defensively.

"That's cute."

"What is?"

I curl myself into a ball and lean against him once more.

"You getting all defensive. It's adorable."

"I'm not adorable. I'm scary. You should see people get out of my way in the hallways. I inspire fear."

"You're adorable."

"I never knew my mother. And my father died when was eleven. I guess besides my adoptive moms, the only real family I had since then was Shiro. Before the military, he used to work at my dad's auto shop; that's how I met him. He tried taking me under his wing after my dad's death but the courts decided that he was too young. But ever since then, he's looked out for me."

The sun has already set but we decided to stay a little longer. Now that I've dried, the night is actually quite warm considering it's still officially winter. I shift closer to him as we look at the stars and wait for him to continue.

"I wanted to do what he does." He says suddenly. "I mean, he helps other people besides Pidge's family. I tried to get into the academy he had to get to to do what he does but they found out I wasn't over sixteen and kicked me out."

"Wait, you infiltrated an academy?" I look at him and he smiles wryly.

"I had everything planned out but in the end the thing that got me was a loyal customer. It turned out that my dad used to routinely fix up a lieutenant's car and he remembered me from before. Small world."

"What happened?"

"I moved back with my moms and started school here." He pauses for a second. "In a way, I suppose it was a good thing, though."

"Why?" I ask.

"I would never have found this place. Or met Pidge. Hell, even fighting Lance is something I'm grateful for."

"Really?"

"Without all of that, I would have never met you."

"Here we are." I tell him as he walks me to the front door. "Home sweet home."

I see Lance's shadow peeking out from the front window and manage to restrain the urge to flip him off.

"Do you want to hang out Sunday?" He blurts out.

"Yes! Well, um, I have to ask my mom, but that's a yes from me." That's a yes from me? "Um, that was really cringy. Ignore that."

Keith laughs and shakes his head.

"No, it's actually kinda cute."

"It is?"

"Yes." There is a moment- a split second- where I think we're going to kiss but the door swings open and my mom steps out smiling.

"This must be Keith, nice to meet you. I'm Martha."

I feel a mix between disappointment and relief. Keith looks panicked for a second at the sight of my mom but then schools his expression and smiles.

"It's nice to meet you too, ma'm."

He shakes her hand and she beams even more at him.

"Please, come in have dinner with us,

"I'm sorry." He says apologetically. "My moms are expecting me, we have a family dinner every Friday. But thank you."

My mom nods approvingly; her weak spot has always been family and in that instant, I know that Keith has already won her over.

"Very well, it has been a pleasure meeting you. I suppose this is that part where I warn you what happens if you hurt my daughter."

"Mom!" She waves me off.

"But I'm pretty sure a young man such as you already knows. Aw, come here."

She envelops him in a hug and I try not to laugh at his confused face. Out of the three of us, mom is the most affectionate one- a trait that she always complains we lack.

"Have a good dinner, Keith. It was nice meeting you."

With that, she walks back inside but doesn't close the door. It's clear to us that she's giving us time to say goodbye but to be quick about it.

"It was nice today-" He begins to say but behind me, Lance interrupts.

"Please stop, my ears."

"Lance!" I glare at his form that's watching T.V. in the living room. He shrugs and I turn my attention back at Keith.

"Yeah, it really was. Thank you, by the way."

"Yeah, of course."

I smile at the jar of sand, suddenly unable to meet his eyes. The awkward moment continues. Say something, Lizzy.

"Okay, I'll ask my mom about Sunday. See you later." With that, I snap my fingers and finger gun. "Bye."

I quickly close the door.

"So, how was the date?" Lance asks me curiously.

"I just finger-gunned my way out." I whisper in horror.

Without waiting to see his reaction, I bolt out the front door. Keith is already walking back to his bike.

"Keith!" He turns around and I run up before I lose my courage. "Today was great. The greatest day I've had in a long time. Actually, being with you is the greatest day every day. And um," I rise to my toes and kiss his cheek. "Yeah. That."

He stands frozen there as I step back. His face begins to redden as he absorbs what just happened.

"Yeah. That." He repeats slowly.

"I'll see you later. Goodbye, Keith."

I run back into the house before I can mess up another moment.


	22. Chapter 22

I wake up and immediately remember what happened yesterday.

I went on a date with Keith Kogane.

A date.

I close my eyes and smile. I'm already thinking on seeing him again. On impulse, I snatch my phone from my dresser and curl up once again in my bed.

Yesterday was fun. :). My sand is currently sitting with my other 6 sand jars. (I had to dig them out of the garage).

I hesitate for a few seconds then click send. Kieth usually doesn't respond right away so I get up and make myself some pancakes. Like most Saturday's, it's just me and Lance. Usually I'm pretty content on staying home and doing homework but today, today I want to go out and meet up with a certain boy. As I'm spreading the Nutella on them, a text alert rings. I fight the smile as I reach for my phone.

Kieth:We'll just have to expand the sand jar collection then.

We'll. I wonder when did we become a we and why one simple word brings butterflies to my stomach.

I smile as I type. When's the next adventure?

A few seconds later, I get my reply. Kieth:Whenever and wherever you want.

Me: Pluto seems nice this time of year.

Kieth: Then we'll have to go there.

We'll. I get up and serve myself some orange juice as I think on what to say. The text alert sounds as I near the table.

Lance: If you're going to phone "flirt" at least put the volume down. Damn messages are interrupting my beauty sleep.

"Beauty sleep isn't going to make you any prettier." I yell at his direction but lower the volume anyway.

Me: Why stop at Pluto? Let's get dirt from all the planets.

A minute later I get my answer. Keith:Only if we get dirt from the moon too.

Kieth: When Shiro comes home, we were thinking on going camping out into the desert. Pidge might tag along too.

Kieth: Would you like to come?

I'd love to, I want to say. But knowing my mom, she'll make me bring Lance with me-not the best idea to bring the two "rivals" together. I have an image of Lance challenging Keith to a tent building contest and shudder.

Me:I'll have to ask my mom. She's a bit cautious about that sort of thing. I think Lance will have to comr.

Me: *come

Kieth: Sure.

That startles me. He's willing to let Lance-his enemy- tag along.

Me: If she does tho, I'll make sure to bring my jars. :)

I finish my pancakes and drown my juice. Lance comes stumbling out of his room and slumps in the chair besides me.

"Shut up." He mutters as he rubs his eyes. Lance's usually neat hair is all over the place.

"I didn't say anything." I roll my eyes, he's always cranky right after he wakes up.

"Spring break is not coming soon enough." He puts his head on the table.

"Hey, hey, hey." I poke him. "I made pancakes. Chocolate-chipped pancakes."

As expected, Lance smiles and just like that, his crankiness vanishes.

"Yes!" He says as he gets up. "You're the best sister I have."

"I'm the only sister you have." He sticks his tongue at me good-naturally and goes to the bathroom to do his morning routine.

"Hurry up," I call out. "The chocolate chips are going to unmelt!"

Keith: :)

I take a double take when I see the smiley face and hold the urge to laugh. Keith is adorable.

Keith: There. the first smiley face I have ever done. Happy?

Me:...

Me: YES!

Keith: So tomorrow... I always seem to pick our spots. Do you a particular place you want to go to tomorrow?

I try not to squeal, I really do. But fail.

Me: How do you feel about fro-yo?

Keith: Fro yo?

Me: Frozen Yogurt.

Keith: Ohh. Alright, I'll pick you up at five?

Me: Yeah, five's fine.

Me: Ha. Alliteration.

*Yeah, five's freaking fantastically fine.

Keith: :)

Me: You did it again!

Me: :)))

triple smiley face is pleased.

Keith: I'll see you then.

Keith: I've got to go, text you later?

I try to stop smiling stupidly at my phone as Lance comes back into the kitchen humming and turns on the radio. The house is soon filled with the familiar sounds of Saturday morning.

Me: Okay. Adios.

"So how was the date?" Lance asks as he spreads his cocktail of Nutella, maple, and strawberry jam. He yawns and looks expectantly at me. With a start I realize that he's taking this whole Kieth thing better than I realized.

"It was good. We went to the beach. Dad's beach." His eyebrows shoot up. "And I...I liked it. The beach, I mean. We should go there together like we used to."

A slow smile spreads in his face. "Yeah, I'd like that."

I feel the urge to hug him and I do. Today is one of those peaceful days where I actually feel like Lance is family. Actually, that's a lie. I always feel that but on these days, it's different. On these days, it's just the two of us against the rest of the world.

"Um Lance...can I ask you something?"

He waves his hand in a go-on gesture as he stuffs his mouth with the sugar loaded pancake.

"Why are you so cool with this? To be honest, at this point, I would have imagined you would have done something drastic."

He shrugs. "You deserve to be happy. And pssh, you underestimate my skills I could still do something "drastic". Emily will see my "drastic-ness" Monday. Which reminds me, we need to pick up supplies for that particular prank."

"That bitch. I still feel we're going easy on her. I told you we should do my idea with the poison ivy."

"Lizzy, we both know you always go overboard with the "pranks". For once in my life, I am the responsible one. You will not "ruin" this for me!"

"First of all, you're using air quotes wrong. Like, really wrong. And secondly, my pranks are a wonder to behold." I protest.

"And illegal. Remember that time I stopped you from setting John's washing machine on fire?"

"That was going to be hilarious! And ironic. Besides, he deserved it."

"What about that whole hiring a clown to stalk a kid who's terrified of clowns." He points out.

"Tommy broke your Lego Star Wars spaceship. You took hours putting it together."

"We were in second grade. That poor kid would have been traumatized!"

"...I think I may see your point."

"Finally!" He shovels the rest of the pancake into his mouth. "Don't worry, our idea is perfect. Emily will rue the day she ever laid eyes on..." He does the cue- which was once a robot dance but we have changed to dabbing.

"L Squared. Lance and Lizzy. Partners at crime." I sing the little song we made up a long time ago. Singing it, brings back all the trouble we got into shortly after uttering those words. It brings back the sense of mischief and adventure.


	23. Chapter 23

"So, are you and Keith official now?" Hunk asks me from the passengers seat. I kick Lance's seat in front of me.

"You told him?" I fake glare at Lance.

"Come on, Hunk is practically family." My brother protests.

"If it makes you feel any better, I totally ship it." Hunk says.

"It does actually." I tell him. "So what are you guys going to do today?"

"The usual. Netflix and chill. We would invite you but you're going on a date with your boy-toy."

I cringe and lightly punch Hunk. "Please. Don't ever say that word again."

"Fine. Your sugar daddy." I groan and cover my ears.

"No."

I hear Lance and Hunk laugh. "The bae."

"Poochkins."

"Home skillet."

"Your boo." Lance says cracking up. "It's funnier if you imagine Kieth actually responding to any of these."

I laugh a little because even I can't imagine Kieth knowing the meaning to these, much less responding to them.

"So, Hunk," I say in an attempt to change the topic. "How's Shay?"

"Oh! She says she wants to meet you two. She's going to drop by work tomorrow after school." He gets a cheesy smile and I can't help but wonder if that's how I look when I talk about Keith. "Lance, you better not scare her off."

My brother does a fake offended gasp. "Me? I am your comrade. I will never!"

"I'll show up." I promise Hunk. We make a turn and Lance stops in front if the fro-yo shop.

"Alright. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. But also don't do anything I would do." Lance says.

"Pssh, you don't need to tell me that. Remember, I am the responsible one."

"Says the one who can't make pancakes." I smile and stick out my tongue.

"Thanks for the ride. Bye Hunk, Lance. See you guys later."

"Bye Lizzy. Say hello to your boo for me." They drive off laughing.

As I make my way to one of the outside tables, I secretly promise myself that Shay will know Lance and Hunk's cringiest moments. I don't have to wait long for Keith to show up. When he does, a smile lights up his face.

"Hey," He says as he sits down.

"Hi." Kieth is wearing a dark blue shirt that accents his eyes. I try to stop starring.

"So, I have an idea."

He raises his eyebrows. "What."

"I chose your fro-yo if you chose mine."

"Deal." I pump my fists in the air and take his hand.

"I have the best flavor for you." I'm super aware of the way his warm hands feels with mine but I try not to make it obvious. I end up choosing pumpkin for him and he gives me the oddest combination of Eggnog and cinnamon.

"Trust me," He said. "You'll love it."

And maybe it's the way he said it. Or perhaps that it came from him but I swear I've never tasted frozen yogurt as good as that one. We ended up walking to a small park a few blocks away and settling down in a grassy secluded area. We could see the people going about their lives but somehow, they never seem quite as alive as I felt sitting next to Keith. I lean against a tree finishing my fro-yo while Kieth lays down next to me with his arms behind his head.

"I have good news." He says as he moves into the shade so he can look at me without the sun blinding his eyes. "Shiro is coming this weekend."

"What! That's awesome! Is Pidge's family also coming?"

"Yeah, but they won't be able to come to the camping trip."

"Aw, I wanted to meet them. At least I'll meet Pidge and Shiro. So...about that trip..." I try to keep the smile off my face but fail. "My mom said yes! Of course Lance has to come and she has to meet Shiro and all that jazz. But I can't believe she actually agreed!"

His eyes light up and he laughs in joy.

"You're going to love it, I know you will. Make sure to bring a hat and sunscreen. And some good hiking shoes because the rocks we're going to see are amazing. The sunsets in the desert make these colors that are..." He looks away embarrassed. "They're cool."

"You don't have to do that, you know." I tell him as I finish the fro-yo and lay down next to him.

"Do what?"

"Downgrade all the things you love."

"I'll never downgrade you."

I freeze as his words sink in and turn around to look at him. Despite his red face, he steadily meets my eyes.

"I'll never downgrade you either." I whisper very much aware of the distance between us, or better said, the lack of distance. Suddenly I realize how much this boy means to me. "I love the way your eyes look." I tell him suddenly, terrified that if I don't say this now, he'll never know. I take his hand and gently squeeze it. "And how your hands feel with mine. I love the way that you don't care what anyone thinks about you. And the way you get excited when you talk about sunsets. And I think...I think I just might be falling in love with you."

He sits up and I follow suit.

"That may be happening to me too." He murmurs. Keith reaches up and cups my face with his hand. My heart begins to pound as he slowly leans in. His breath smells like pumpkin and suddenly, it's my new favorite flavor. I can't take the suspense and close the distance. The world falls away, all that's left of it is him and me. The kiss is warm and soft- better than how I always imagined his lips would feel. His lips curl in a smile and I feel mine mirroring him. We break apart and the world cruelly resumes its pace- I wish I could live in that moment forever.

"You're cute when you're confident. You should kiss me more often." I say breathless when I regain my wits.

"I think I just might." He leans down and our lips meet once more.


	24. Chapter 24

I stare at the Chemistry book in front of me as I vainly try to absorb what I'm reading. The sun isn't even out but we had to wake up early to get Emily's revenge prank ready. I have a test today that I am determined to pass but my mind keeps on wandering to yesterday. I feel my face heat up every time I think about that kiss under the shade. It was...perfect.

My eyes wander to the place where my jars of sand are kept. On impulse, I grab my phone and scroll to the picture that I took during the beach date. I land on the solo picture of Keith with his back to the sea smiling and looking not at the camera but at me with such a soft expression. I make a mental note to print this photo out when I have the chance. I can lose all the pictures in my phone but not this one.

There's a knock on my door and Lance's head pops in. He can barely control his mischievous smile.

"Mom's gone. Ready to go?" He asks. "The package is ready."

"Emily better appreciate all the work we've put into this." I grumble as I get my stuff and follow him to the car. My blood boils every time I think about her.

"I think she will be too preoccupied with all the screaming." He laughs as he pulls out of the driveway. It's still dark outside which will usually make me sleepy but today, with the execution of the prank coming up, I'm wide awake.

"Damn straight."

With the time that it takes us to drive to the store, we've gone over the plan various times- I've always been careful about the details.

"So on a totally unrelated topic, Hunk is bringing Shay in today."

"Oh my god! I totally forgot about that. I can't believe I haven't even seen her. How long have they been together? A month?"

I see him nod from the corner of my eye. "Just about. He showed me a couple pictures of her; they look cute together. He said she's coming around 4-ish."

"You know who else looks cute together? Keith and I." Lance rolls his eyes.

"Ew. Oh look. We're here. Looks like destiny didn't want you gushing to me about how great Keith's hair is."

"You gotta admit, his hair is pretty great." I say as I get out of the car.

"It's just a mullet! What's so great about an outdated hairstyle anyway?" Lance yells. Good thing there are hardly any people around at this time, I think as I open the pet store's door. There is only one other person here and it's the storekeeper.

"Hi." I tell her. "Um, do you have a package for Benny Irwin?"

The lady nods and starts to walk off. "Yeah, they came in yesterday. Hold up."

Benny Irwin. That's been Lance's code name since pre-school. Mine was Queen Sophie the First but I had to change it to Sophie Irwin for realistic purposes. When we were little, both of us were really into Steve Irwin; thus the last names. The storekeeper comes in carrying a box the size of her forearm. Small holes are poked into it so the creatures can breathe.

"That will be fifteen dollars." She says as she sets down the box.

Once I finish paying I lug the box back to the car. It's surprisingly heavy considering the relative size of the cockroaches.

Ah cockroaches. Emily's most hated thing in the world.

"Jeez Lance, how many did you order? There's like fifty in here." A sly smile crosses his face as he puts the car in reverse.

"More like one hundred. You sure you have the plan memorized?" He taunts. It's a phrase I used to always ask him. To my disappointment, he's forgotten our own plans various times before.

"Pssh. I know the plan. Are you sure you know her locker combination?" He feigns an insulted expression.

"You doubt your own brother? Of course I know it. They don't call me Lance The Spy for nothing."

"Lance, no one calls you that."

"Shut up. Of course they do."

Ten minutes later, we sneak into the school through a busted window they never get around to fix. I love the halls during times like these. These dark and silent hallways are such a stark difference in comparison to the busy hours of the school day.

"Hurry up, Lizzy." He hisses from his lookout on the corner of the hallway.

"It's not like the locks have lights on them." I shoot back. I squint to see the numbers and try the combination again. Success! Her locker opens and I see textbooks shoved under what looks like a make-up bag."Help me with the cockroaches."

He runs over to me and grabs the locker door.

"There is no way in hell I am holding that bag. Just open it and pour them in there. I'll close the door." I roll my eyes but don't argue. It will take me five minutes to convince my brother to touch something he considers gross but we don't have time for that.

"On three." I whisper. "One...two...three!" In one smooth motion, the cockroaches pour out and Lance slams the door.

"Yes! Now let's go." He pulls me away to the direction we came from. I whisper our mantra as we make our way.

"L Squared. Lance and Lizzy. Partners at crime." We manage to sneak back outside and wait in the car until it's time for actual school to start. "You know," I tell him as we walk towards class. "We could make excellent spies."

"So...what you're telling me is 'Lance the Spy' is canon?"

Later in our AP Psychology class, Emily is telling everyone the horrendous thing that just happened to her. There will be an investigation, she said. Whoever it was won't get away with it!

I wanted to laugh at that. No one has ever caught L Squared.


	25. Chapter 25

"That was you wasn't it?" Keith asks with a smile. Lance is still in school turning in his permission slip for prom. We watch the students hurry to their cars and drive off as we lean against my car.

"That was me what?"

"Emily. Come on, Bird. Did you think I wouldn't notice?" I lean against him and grin. I love it when he calls me that.

"I'm not saying it was us. But I'm also not saying it wasn't us." He chuckles.

"I knew it. Apparently there is a new rumor going around that there is some sort of jokester vigilante running around our school." I hum and pretend to look away.

"I would think that they would appreciate that name. You know, in my personal opinion."

"Of course."

We stay silent for a while, enjoying each other's company. My mind wanders to this weekend's camping trip. I haven't even asked my mom, I'm waiting until she's in the right mood to bring it up.

"Physical contact?! In my car!" We jump at Lance's voice behind us.

"Lance, we were literally just leaning against each other-" He cuts me off.

"Please I don't want to know the details." He covers his eyes with the crook of his arm as he opens the passenger door and gets in. "I am going to have to sanitize that part of my car."

"I should go." Keith says. He looks like he wants to kiss me but decides against it and grabs his backpack. "I'll see you later, Bird. Goodbye Lance."

"Okay, bye." I say as Keith walks away.

"You just had to do that didn't you?" I open the driver's door angrily and get in. "And for the last time, it's our car."

Lance is looking smugly out the window. "Did you see how fast he left? Nothing gets rid of a Mormon faster than insinuations of sin."

"He's not Mormon." I grit my teeth as I pull out of the parking space.

"And 'Bird'? What kind of nickname is that? Do you go 'caw caw' every time you see him? Man, you guys are weird." Without taking my eyes off the road, I punch his arm. "Ow? Was that supposed to hurt?"

"You better not do what you just did to Shay and Hunk." I warn him.

"Puh-lease. I happen to be a very good friend. I would never do that to my dear Hunk."

"But you would to your sister?" I mutter. He hears me and laughs.

"Duh. That's part of the job description. I embarrass you and you do favors for me. That's how it works."

"Speaking of favors...you still owe me for sneaking you out of detention." He groans.

"I thought you forgot about that."

"Lance, it was a week ago. How could I forget that? Anyway, as I was saying before you rudely interrupted me, you owe me. Big time. And Keith invited me to a camping trip this weekend." I ignore his gasp. "And you know mom, she won't let me go without supervision. So, you have to go."

"I don't have to do anything."

"Shiro is coming." I say.

Ever since I told Lance about what Shiro does, he's been fangirling over him. It's actually kind of adorable.

"Shiro is coming?" He asks.

"Yes." I smile. "Think of it. S'mores with a campfire...and Shiro. He would be telling stories of his cool adventures and all the things he's seen."

He pretends to think about it but I already know he's made up his mind. "Say that I actually agree...Can I bring Hunk?"

"I already asked Keith. He said yes. I just need to ask mom, and I'll need your help convincing her."

"I'll see if I'm free." He says. I don't point out that we both know he's not doing anything this weekend.

"Okay."

Hunk looks like he's about to throw up.

"What's up big guy?" Lance asks.

"Are you okay?" I say.

"It's Shay. She just texted saying that her parents are coming into town tomorrow. They want to meet me."

"Oh shit." Lance says which doesn't help Hunk's complexion at all. There is only one customer around and he's on his phone sitting down. We can talk freely. I cast my mind out for ideas.

"Win them over with your food!" I tell him. "Invite them to your place for dinner and cook them that sushi that you always make."

"That...is actually a good idea." Lance says. "Dude, you can totally do that! Take control and show them who's alpha!"

"I'm not sure...What if they don't like me?" He gasps. "What if they don't like my food?"

"Hunk, that sushi is literally the greatest thing I have ever had. If that doesn't win them over, I don't know what will." I reassure him but he still looks doubtful.

"Yeah?"

"Of course, man." Lance says and he reaches over and puts on his apron. "They are going to adore you."

"Hey Hunk, can I have the strawberry smoothie?" I know that making something calm Hunk down and by the looks of it, he's in dire need of customers.

"Of course."

"By the way, what kind of sushi are you going to make?" Lance asks. Despite us not understanding half of what he says, Hunk loves to talks about the different methods there are to make certain food. I nod approvingly at my brother, talking about that will relax Hunk for sure.

And it does. His eyes light up as he describes the possible options he can do. Suddenly, I'm so happy that he's found someone that will love all the little things he does. Shay must be one special girl. I sip my smoothie while I listen to Hunk as I do my homework. The chemistry test today was actually not that bad but I have a psych test tomorrow. It seems that I never seem to finish.

I am so absorbed into the notes that I don't notice the door opening and a customer walking in until she is next to me. She has short hair that barely reaches her jawline.

"Hunk!" She says. Hunk burst into a smile and goes around the counter to hug her. It takes me a few seconds to realize this must be Shay. Lance grins from behind the counter.

"Hey, how was your day?" Hunk asks but she waves him off good-naturally.

"Never mind that, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

"Yes! This is Lizzy and Lance McClain." I offer my hand to shake but she gathers me into a hug.

"I've heard so much about you guys. It's so great to finally meet you!"

"You too." I say smiling. I can already tell that we're going to be good friends.

"You are even more beautiful than Hunk has described." Lance says. She beams and pats him on the cheek.

"And you are just as adorable as he said." She says but Lance looks outraged.

"You describe me as adorable, Hunk? The disrespect! You can say I am cool or awesome, but adorable?" Hunk just shrugs.

"Sorry, man."

"So," Shay says after a few seconds. "What does the chef recommend?"

Hunk grins. "The panini. They are baked every morning by yours truly."

"Then I'll have that."

Watching them interact is amazing. It makes me wonder if this is what Keith and I look like. As the afternoon goes on, I grow more and more convinced that Hunk and Shay are perfect for each other, and by the looks of the "aww's" that Lance gives, I'm not the only one who sees it. By the time Shay has to leave, all of Hunk's worries about meeting her parents are gone.

"I'm going to marry that girl someday." He says as he watches her leave.


	26. Chapter 26

"You did good today." I tell Keith as the coach dismisses us from practice. "How's your wound by the way?"

He rolls his right arm. "It's pretty good. It used to bother me during vaulting but not anymore."

I narrow my eyes and smack his arm lightly. "You didn't tell me! We could've told the coach you got hurt!"

"It wasn't that bad." He protests.

"Kieth, you got stabbed."

"It was more of a slash than an actual stab." He laughs when he sees my expression. "Fine. I'll make it up to you. How about a date?"

A spark of thrill shoots through me. Despite being officially together, sometimes I still can't believe Keith actually likes me. We walk through the student parking lot and I see that there are only a couple of cars left besides Keith's motorcycle.

"I think that will do it. I have to be home before eight though. I still need to ask my mom about the camping trip." His eyes widen in surprise.

"You still haven't ask her?"

"I asked Lance and Hunk. They said yes. But I'm waiting for the right moment to bring it up to my mom." I say defensively. As he unlocks the seat compartment I shoot Lance a quick text telling him Keith is taking me home. He hands me a helmet and I find him staring at me as I put it on.

"The helmet suits you." He says and I tap it twice.

"Gotta keep them brains in there."

Suddenly, he leans in and kisses me. I feel his hands cup my cheeks and all I could smell is him. I could stand there all day without getting tired of a single second but in the end, it's him that breaks the kiss.

"What was that for?" I ask breathless.

"Do I need a reason to kiss my girlfriend?" His face is red; I brush some nonexistent dirt away from his cheek as an excuse to touch him.

"You had something right there." I murmur. He reaches up and moves back a strand of my hair. This time, I'm the one who leans up and kisses him.

We break away with a smile and he clears his throat.

"Alright. Where do you want to go?"

"Let's do something totally cliché ." I tell him as we get on his bike. "Let's go to the movies."

"Yes ma'am." I wrap my arms around him as he hits the gas throttle.

In the end, we chose an action film. It was cheesy and predictable but the simple fact that Kieth was next to me was enough to make the movie unforgettable.


	27. Chapter 27

"And you're going to stay overnight. With your boyfriend." My mom lifts an eyebrow and I feel my cheeks burn.

"No! It's not like that. I swear. His brother is coming too. And Keith's other friend, Pidge. So is Hunk and Lance."

"Lance?" She turns her attention to my brother. He smiles around the food in his mouth. "Is this true?"

"Yeah. Hunk is also going too, I mean, if you end up saying yes. And if you're worried about her and Keith, I'll keep an eye on her. Promise. But it's not like I actually need to; this is Lizzy we're talking about."

I don't know if I should be insulted of what; either way, she seems to be considering it.

"It's one night?" She asks.

"Two." I tell her. "It's a three day weekend. We'll be coming back Monday morning. Today is..."

"Tuesday." Lance supplies with his mouth full. His spongebob pajama top grins mockingly at me.

"Yeah. Tuesday. So we still have three days until we leave."

"And where is this taking place?"

I curse whoever named that part of the desert. It sounds to menacing; especially to moms.

"Uh Death Valley." I rush to explain. "It's still winter-ish. Keith said that the snakes and scorpions won't be out until a few more months. And it's not like we're going to get lost. Shiro works in the military to guide and protect scientific who are researching out in the field. He's been in way more dangerous areas."

"He's super cool too." Lance adds as if that would help.

"I'll think about it."

"Um Mom?" I hope I don't ruin it. "Keith kinds needs a decision by today."

She stares at me, her eyes give nothing away.

"You're going to put on sunscreen. You too Lance. And I don't want you guys wandering around and getting lost." She says.

"Wait." I start to smile. "Is that a yes?"

When she nods I leap up and run around the table to hug her.

"Thank you thank you thank you!"

"I have one condition." She says. "I want both of you to be careful. No taking any unnecessary risks. And I'm talking to both of you."

I let go still smiling,

"Aw, come on Mom. You can trust me." I initiate the usual harmless bickering. "Lance is the one who takes stupid risks."

"Please." Lance scoffs. "I was not the one who nearly fell off a cliff to look at a lizard."

"It was the size of my arm! And at least I didn't-"

"You both aren't going to go if you don't finish your food." My mom says as she stands up and heads to the bathroom. That shuts us up. We race to see who finishes first just so we can continue on with our bickering.

"At least I didn't almost burn myself trying to dab while cooking." I shoot as soon as my plate is clear. Lance looks outraged and he opens his mouth to say something but then immediately starts coughing.

Instead of helping him, I laugh.

"Yeah?" He says the second he can breathe again. "Well of the two of us, who went to the hospital two times in the same week to get their stomach pumped because they ate paint?"

"I was two years old!"

"Still counts!"

We grin at each other.

"So Game of Thrones starts in..." I check my phone. "Eight minutes."

"We still need to wash the dishes." He says gravely.

"I wash them and you dry?"

"No. I wash. You dry. You can't keep up with my drying speed."

"Try me, bitc-" I stop just in time. My mom doesn't tolerate cussing in the house. "Try me, dude.

"Dude?" He laughs standing up and heading to the sink. "I'm going to tell Mom you used a bad word language."

I start to wash the dishes as he gets out several rags and fakes a look of extreme concentration.

"They call me Lance the Dry Master. Ain't nobody ever defeated me." He says in a ridiculous southern accent. "You know, I think Keith may be Southern."

"What?" I scrub the dishes as fast as I could. "You better help me rinse them too."

"That wasn't part of the deal. And, yeah, it's the accent."

"Accent? Lance, I would know if Keith had an accent-"

"It comes out when he's really angry. Remember the last time we got into a fight?"

"That yelling match? I wasn't there." I tell him.

"Yeah, I know. You didn't see your favorite brother absolutely killing it. Man, the comebacks I had." He gets a nostalgic look on his face. I kick his foot.

"Don't go starting fights with Keith on the trip."

"Anyways," He says ignoring me. "That's when his accent comes out. When he's yelling. It's actually really hard to keep a straight face when he yells which makes him even angrier."

He laughs.

"Good times."

"Promise me you won't start fights." I tell him.

"Oh look at the time. Game of Thrones is about to start." He skips to the living room leaving me with a couple dishes.

"Lance. Promise."

In response, he raises the volume.

"What was that? Sorry, I can't hear you."

I balance the pole on my hands and breathe in.

You've got this, I think. It isn't even that high.

And then I'm off running. Gaining speed as I near the pit and jumping off at the right timing. I look at the bungee when I land and find that it's quivering.

"Damn." I mumble as I get up. That was my last vault for the day. The coach goes on to give me advice on what I need to work on; it's always the same thing. I sit down on the grass and stay to watch the rest of my team finish off.

Keith is last. He always gets a serious expression whenever he's about to jump. I feel a surge of pride when he does and clears the height. He's already past my height and is climbing to be one of our best boy pole vaulter. Nevertheless, the coach is telling him on what he needs to fix; he's always finding little things to fix.

As they talk, I think back on the first time Keith vaulted. That seems like so long ago. But it's only been a little more than a month.

Jesus Christ.

One month.

On the risk of sounding cliche, I feel like I've always known him. Now, I'm going on trips with his family. Going on dates. Texting him more than any other person. After only a month.

After only a month, I've... fallen in love. A month ago, I knew only the superficial of this boy. Now, he's all I can think about.

"You ready to go?" Keith says offering a hand. I take it and stand up.

"I met Shay yesterday." I tell him as we walk towards the bench where our stuff is.

"Really?"

"Leave, lovebirds." The coach tells us good-naturally. "Practice is over and I want to go home."

"Okay, coach." Keith says.

I laugh a little embarrassed then we start walking towards the parking lot.

"Anyway, yeah. She was really nice. I can see why Hunk's infatuated with her. Keith, they were so adorable! You should have seen them. Meh. They're like that cute old couple you see at some restaurant."

"Even if I haven't even seen the guy, I already feel like I know him." He says.

We stop by his motorcycle and I take out my phone to show him a picture of them.

"Shit." I stare at the eighteen missed calls from my mom. I have even more messages from her. A cold feeling floods through me.

"What."

I press the call button and she immediately picks up. She's crying.

"Lizzy. Thank goodness. Why haven't you picked up?" A sob sounds through the tinny speakers. "I've already lost your father. I can't lose him too."

"Mom? Mom are you okay? What happened?"

"It's Lance. He's been in an accident."


	28. Chapter 28

Lance.

"What?" I struggle to keep the panic from my voice.

Lance.

"What happened?" Keith asks.

"I'm at the Central Hospital." My mom's voice breaks. "The doctors said that he's unconscious for now. They said-I have to go. The doctor's coming. Honey, please come."

"Mom is he okay?!"

But she's already hung up.

Lance.

"Jesus Christ." I moan. "I have to go."

"Lizzy, what's wrong." Keith firmly holds my shoulders. "Calm down. What happened."

Lance.

The idea of never laughing with Lance again kills me. I let out a sob.

"T-there was a-an accident." Understanding fills his eyes.

"Which hospital." He asks. With difficulty I manage to say the name and before I know it, we're off. As we ride, I keep hearing my mom's crying voice.

It can't be that bad. Right.

I've never been religious but I find myself praying to every god I can think of. Pleasepleaseplease. It doesn't even sound like a word anymore.

We arrive and before we come to a full stop, I'm already off.

Pleasepleaseplease

The receptionist greets me with a smile.

"Lance McClain." I attempt to say but the lump in my throat makes it impossible to understand.

"Can you please repeat that?"

"Lance McClain." Keith says breathless as he reaches me. He takes my hands and gives it a reassuring squeeze as if to tell me I'm not alone.

The lady gives us directions that I don't even understand. But Keith does. He leads us running towards the ER section never once letting go of my hand.

Pleasepleaseplease

We make it to a lobby and my mother immediately stands up. Immediately, all the tears I've been trying to hold back come flooding out as she envelops me in a hug.

"Lance?" I manage.

"He's going to be fine." Her voice is raw. She strokes my hair in a smoothing motion. "The doctors said it was just a concussion. He woke up a few minutes ago. He's going to be fine."

She starts crying again from the shock of it all. We stand there holding on to each other as if we're each other's life jackets.

"Mrs. McClain?" Someone asks. A doctor stands a few feet away. "Family members are permitted to see the patient now."

"Oh thank god." My mom says. I look back at Keith and he nods.

"I'll wait here."

We follow the doctor into a room with five beds. A few of them are closed off with a curtain. I scan the room looking for my brother. I see him lying near the window, looking like hell but alive. His form swims as my eyes flood over. My mom runs to him and envelops him in a hug. I stand behind her waiting for my turn.

"My boy." Her voice is muffled. "My boy."

"Mom, you're embarrassing me." Lance says at an attempt at humor but his voice breaks mid-sentence. There is a gauze wrapped around his head and he looks paler than he has any right to be. But he is smiling. And that's all that matters.

My mom finally lets go and I hug him tightly.

"Don't you ever fucking dare do that again." I sob. "You're not allowed to die."

"I'm not immortal, sis." He says softly. I feel his arm wrap around me and we stay like that for a while. I can hear his heartbeat and each beat calms me down a bit.

When I finally let go, I see that a little color is returning to his face. He seems more alert now than he was a few minutes ago.

"Can I leave now?" He asks.

"Yes, Lance." The doctor's voice surprises me. I thought he already left. "We've been watching your brain for any swelling and fortunately, have not seen anything. Of course, there is still the minor concussion. I've told your mother what to do and given her some instructions. You need to drink a lot of fluids and if the headache hurts, you may use acetaminophen. Rest is also strongly suggested. So no school for the rest of the week." Lance gives me a smile when he says that. "If you experience any significant pain or severe dizzying spells, come back here. Once your mother has filled out all the necessary paperwork. You're free to go. Any questions?"

"Yes. You see, I'm going on this camping trip this Saturday. On a scale of one to ten, how much would you recommend that?"

"Camping trip?"

Lance nods.

"Young man, you are not going on any trip-" My mother starts but Lance cuts her off.

"Mom. It was just a car accident."

"Just? Just a car accident?" She splutters as she tries to come up with something.

"Lance, Mom's right. I mean look at you. You look like hell-"

"Language." Mom snaps. The doctor intervenes.

"Actually, unless the symptoms become too severe I would suggest you not to go. But due to minor concussion, I see no problem with it as long as you don't exert yourself."

"You're agreeing with him?" My mom looks at the doctor incredulously. "He's in the hospital!"

"The final decision is, of course, up to you but I besides the cut on his scalp, there's no reason why Lance should be here. As long as he rests and drinks fluids, he should be alright."

"See, Mom." Lance says. "The man with the eight year degree knows what he's talking about. Anyway, can we leave? I want to go home."

"Yes, Lance." She says. It's amazing how she can go from frantic to annoyed in such a short amount of time.

"Ma'am. Please follow me to fill out the paperwork." The doctors says and Mom follows him. I take in the machines around him trying to make sense of all the numbers but failing.

"Lance, what happened?"

"Oh, this truck his my side when I was driving on my way to work." He frowns. "How much do you think this will cost? It must be pretty expensive, huh?"

"That doesn't matter." I tell him. "We'll figure it out."

"But Mom-"

"We'll figure it out. We always do."

"It's going to look bad-ass." He says after a moment.

"What is?"

"The scar. Wait 'till you see it. It looks so cool."

He laughs then suddenly goes serious again. "It was...scary. Blood kept pouring from the cut, I actually thought I was going to die." He gives a forced laugh. "I feel kind of stupid now."

"You have every right to feel scared after what you just went through." I tell him; my throat closes up. "I'm glad that you're still here."

"Duh. Who else is going to annoy you?"

"We shouldn't go to the camping trip. Don't do it for me." I tell him. "You need to rest."

"I'm not doing it for you. Shiro is going to be there. I get to mess with Keith. And pop some s'mores with you and Hunk. It's going to be awesome. Like hell I'm going to miss it."

"But-"

"Plus, we get to get some cool desert sand for your collection."

"Lance you need-"

"It's not even been two hours and I'm already bored. Like hell I'm going to stay at home on a three day weekend being a loser when I could have been getting lit."

"You've just been in an accident!"

"Exactly! I did not survive an accident and earn bragging rights just so I could have no one to brag to. I have to wait six days until I go to school again. By that time the cut will fade into a disappointing weak-ass scar and the ladies will be less impressed with my survival story. You gotta think logically, Lizzy."

I stay silent.

"Now you've just got to help me to convince Mom." He wiggles his eyebrows. "Come on. Do it for your almost dead brother."

"That's not funny."

"We were in this same boat a few days ago. With one of us trying to convince the other to convince Mom. It's an endless cycle."

"This is different. You have a concussion." He waves me off.

"It's a minor one. Didn't you hear what the doctor said?"

"It will be a distraction." I look at him and he finally seems serious. "I keep thinking of the crash. I want it to stop. And maybe by going there, it will help."

"Okay." I say. "I'll help."

They wheel Lance out due to the hospital's regulations. He grumbles all the way to the car complaining that he can stand. I give Keith the quick facts and tell him that I'll text him later; he seems relieved that Lance is okay.

When we finally get home,we approach the subject of the camping trip. It takes nearly two hours of fact telling and pleading, she finally says yes. Immediately, Lance brightens up. He begins making a list on all the things he needs; and unsurprisingly, it's a long list. He runs back and forth around the house gathering all his supplies; which drives my mom crazy, and she tells him to sit down and rest. Eventually, exhaustion takes over and he falls asleep. My mom soon follows and crashes to her bed dead tired.

I lie awake staring at the ceiling.

I managed to convince my mom that I at home tomorrow with Lance to take care of him because with all the costs coming up, she can't afford a day off. Of course I have to go back to school Friday to explain to the attendance office and catch both Lance and I on all our missing assignments.

I miss the good old days when you could miss school without stressing out about all the work you've missed.

I shift and study the ceiling. The glowing stars me and Lance put up forever ago have lost their glow but I know exactly where they are. In the dark, my mom's voice keeps coming back to me.

I've already lost your father. I can't lose him too.

Without all the distractions the horrible idea that I haven't allowed myself to think too deeply comes back with nothing to stop it. What if Lance had died?

Just the very thought of it leaves me short of breath.

Lance. My better half. My partner in crime. What if he had died?

In an instant, all his jokes, all his laughs, all his him, would have been wiped out. Gone forever. I clench my eyes but the tears still escape. What if?

What if the truck had been going a little faster?

What if he hadn't worn his seat-belt?

What if...

What if my brother had not made it home from the hospital? He would be buried next to Dad's empty grave. I've already lost my dad. I can't lose Lance too. Never.

What if I never heard his voice again. His laugh.

A sob escapes me. I curl up hoping they don't hear it. They're already exhausted as it is. That's how I fall asleep. Torturing myself with notions of Lance's death.

"Can you bring me some ice-cream, Lizzy?" He calls from his room. "And put some sprinkles on it will you?"

I do that and help myself to a second serving of ice-cream. As I'm about to head to his room, a text alert rings.

Keith: How's he doing?

Me: He's tired. But still wants ice-cream. Same old Lance.

"Lizzy-" He calls.

"Coming."

When I enter his room, I see that he couldn't be more comfortable. He's watching Bill Nye on Netflix while spread on his bed and scrolling through his phone. Despite the cold outside, it's pretty cozy on here.

"I added caramel." I tell him as I give him the cup.

"Oh! I forgot about that. Thanks. Look." He unravels the wrap around his head. "The nurse said I could take it off today. On a scale of one to ten, how bad-ass does it look?"

I see that the cut was pretty bad. It's not big but it's noticeable. The cut runs from his scalp to and inch below his hairline above his right eye. I've got to admit, it does look badass.

"I give it a nine point five."

"A nine point five?" He looks so scandalized. He stands up and runs to the bathroom to look at himself. "Come on, it's a solid ten!"

"Lance, I love you but even you can't beat Scarface." He stay quiet.

"That's true." He walks back into his room and slumps on his bed. After a few seconds, he starts eating the ice-cream. "I'm bored. Entertain me."

"We could go walking to Circle K. I have money. We could buy some snacks." I offer.

"Ugh. That required walking. Besides, Hunk is coming over later and bringing me some cupcakes."

"How about...Call of Duty?"

He perks up.

"It has been forever since you played. Fine. If you insist. Although I should warn you, in your absence, my mad skills have gotten better."

"I doubt that."

"Goddammit Lance!" I yell and he just laughs.

"I told you I've gotten better. How does it feel like to lose eight times in a row? Honestly, are you even trying?"

The doorbell rings.

"Come in." Lance yells.

Hunk opens the door tentatively. Despite all his years knowing us and coming over, he still feels awkward opening the front door. His eyes land on Lance and he burst into a smile. Faster than I would give him credit for, he crosses the room and envelops Lance into a hug. How he manages to not drop his package of cupcakes, I don't know.

"Lance! I was so worried."

"Can't...breathe." My brother wheezes. Hunk lets go.

"Right, sorry. Whoa! That cut looks pretty bad." He says.

"I know! Isn't it awesome? Do you want to touch it?"

"Is it, like, infected?" Hunk asks looking green.

"Of course not. It's got seven stitches." Lance says proudly.

I flashback to when we were little and we got cuts and bruises from messing around. We used to be so proud of the fact that we didn't cry over it.

Do you see this cut on my elbow?

Yes! Did it hurt?

Of course not. I didn't cry.

"Seven stitches? That's a lot. You sure you don't need medical attention?" Hunk asks.

"Hunk, this is me we're talking about. I'm fine. All I got was this an a concussion."

Hunk turns to look at me.

"Is he telling the truth?"

"Yeah. He's a free man. No more hospital visits, hopefully."

"Hunk, the camping trip is still on!" Lance exclaims. "We leave Saturday morning, so you should stay the night Friday."

"Um, okay. I brought snacks. And so many movies, I didn't know what you guys wanted to watch so I brought like ten." He sits down on the couch and we crowd around him.

"Thank god, I'm starving." Lance says eagerly and I glare at him.

"You told me twenty minutes ago you weren't hungry."

"Come on, do you really blame me for refusing to eat the food you make?" He says. I have to admit, he has a point.

"True."

"Now," Says Hunk. "What movie do you guys want to watch?"

We spend the next twenty minutes arguing which one and by then most of the cupcakes are gone. But it doesn't matter. In the end, we end up choosing Shrek. Thankfully, Hunk was insightful enough to bring all the Shrek movies.


	29. Chapter 29

Hello everyone! Just one more chapter to go! "It's You"is about to become..."It's Over". Ha! You wouldn't believe how long I have thought of that pun and now I finally get to use it. I know I keep saying this, but I appreciate your love SO much; it has kept this story alive, and now that we've almost reached the end, I can't help but feel a little teary-eyed. As promised this is not the end of Lizzy and Keith, I am working on several more stories so feel free to check them out. Anyway, without further ado...

"Come on, Lance." Hunk knocks on the bathroom door again. "I really need to pee."

"There is a process to looking this awesome, Hunk. It involves various lotions in a certain order; you can't rush it. Respect the process."

"You've been there for twenty minutes. It's almost time to go."

It's the only bathroom we have. I sigh as I walk over to the closed door, Hunk moves over as I take his place.

"Lance," I call. "Hunk is our guest. And it's almost time to go-"

The door opens suddenly and Lance grins at us. He's still wearing his blue bathrobe but I've got to hand it to him, his face does look pretty clear. Except for the scar which he's taken to naming it Eloise.

"You can't be this handsome-"

Hunk pushes past him yelling something that sounds like 'gottogo'. The door closes with a slam and we head towards the kitchen where my mom is preparing breakfast.

"I don't see why I even agreed for you both to go." She frets. "It's not too late to keep you here."

"Mom. I'll be fine. Me and Hunk will take care of Lance."

"And Eloise." Lance adds pointing to his cut. "Don't forget Eloise."

"And Eloise."

Mom frowns a bit worried. "I don't know..."

"Come one Mom. We never do anything fun." Lance protests. "Besides I got all my stuffed packed up. It took hours."

Hunk comes into the kitchen and smiles.

"Hello Mrs. McClain."

"Hunk! How many time have I told you to call me Maria." She looks at the clock. "Shoot, I'm late. Call me as soon as they pick you up. And when you get there. And at night."

"Yes mom." Lance says.

"If you feel sick, or if you headache is acting up again, call me. I'll pick you up." She goes around and gives all three if us a tight hug. "Be careful. And eat the pancakes I just made for you."

"Don't worry, Mrs. McClain, I'll make sure they eat." Hunk says.

"Thank you, Hunk. Make sure these two don't get into any trouble. They seem to be attracted to it."

"Hey!" Lance protests.

"We'll behave, Mom." I tell her.

"I love you." She says as she walks out the front door. A few minutes later, I hear her car pull out the driveway. I look at the clock hanging above out sink.

"Alright. Lance you need to dress. We still need to eat. And Keith arrives in half an hour."

I bring the plateful of pancakes to the table and Hunk helps me set it up while Lance changes. After about five minutes, he bursts into the dining room and poses for us.

"How hot do you think it gets there- Hey! You started without me. No fair." He slumps into the chair and begins eating. Between mouthfuls, he fills Hunk in on his view on Keith.

"...and his mullet. Hunk, you are going to laugh when you see it. I mean, it's an odd-"

"Lance." I warn.

"What?" He says innocently.

"Can I pick the music?"

"No, Lance, you always pick the music."

"Why don't we just listen to the radio?"

"Hunk, the radio is the single most boring-"

Shiro cuts in. "Why don't we listen to each person's music for an hour? And the we switch it up."

His geniusness shuts up up. There is a reason why he's the adult.

"I go first!" Pidge calls out from the back passing the phone to Lance besides me and he passes it to Keith. In turn, Keith plugs it and soon some indie music starts playing; which Hunk starts humming along to. It took us a few minutes to decide how to seat ourselves but in the end, Keith was shotgun because he was giving driving instructions to Shiro. Lance and I were in the two seats behind him and Hunk and Pidge were in the seats behind us.

They immediately hit it off. When Hunk first saw the inside of the car, he said 'Whoa. It's bigger on the inside.' Pidge squealed and yelled 'A fellow Whovian!' Since then, they've been talking non-stop about theories and different shows. I joined the conversation every one in a while when they mentioned shows that I watch.

Meanwhile, Lance asks Shiro about his adventures to which Shiro responds in detail. It's kind of cute to see the rapt expression on Lance's face when his hero talks. As we drive, the sun rises in front of us. Every one in a while whenever a car cuts in front of us and Shiro has to break, I feel Lance tense up besides me. His fingers curl up into a fist; he's been nervous being in a car ever since the accident. The first ride home from the hospital, he kept cringing at every car that approached us. Now every time this happens, I point out some little detail to him in hopes of distracting him; and it seems to work.

The car is filled with Hunk's music now and the easy chatter of teenagers, plus Shiro. Behind me, I hear Hunk and Pidge playing some video game. Keith is focused on the passing landscape while Lance and Shiro talk. There's a difference between us now that we have people around. I'm not sure about him, but for me, there's almost a pressure to act as casual as we can. This is the first time Hunk's met Keith. This is also the first time I've met either Shiro or Pidge. I don't want to screw it up.

Before long, the car's rocking motion makes my eyes heavy and I lean against Lance. He pats my head as if I was a toddler and keeps on talking to Shiro.

"YES! We're here!" Lance's voice wakes me up. I check the time and realize it's already noon. Immediately I notice that we're in the middle of the desert. It's surprisingly alive. I imagine the desert to have more sand but there are tough bushes everywhere making the scene surprisingly green.

"Alright everybody," Shiro says turning around to look at us. "We have about six hours until the sun sets. Let's get camp ready. Let's get into three groups of two. Pidge and Lizzy, can you look for firewood?"

I nod and Pidge voices her assent.

"Thank you. Lance and I will make the tents while Keith and Hunk set up the camp. If we finish up early, we'll help set up the camp. Alright. There are no dangers to snakes or scorpions this time of year but even so, use the buddy system."

I like what Shiro is doing. By teaming us together, he's subtly getting all of us to know each other; I can see why Keith looks up to him so much.

"Uh," Hunk's nervous voice come from the back. "Are there any coyotes or any other dangerous animal we need to worry about?"

"Coyotes usually don't near humans but it doesn't hurt to be wary." Shiro smiled. "Don't worry guys, this is going to be fun.

"Keith must really like you." Pidge says bending down to pick up some wood. This is the third trip we've made for firewood-there is surprising a lot in the desert. "I'm not usually the mushy feely person but I've gotta admit, it's cute."

My face heats up and it's not because of the sun. "Thank you. You know, it's really nice to meet you, finally."

She laughs and shakes her head. "Same here." She gets a mischievous smile. "I imagine you want to hear some embarrassing stories about Keith, huh? Don't tell him I told you but when he was younger, about six years ago, he tired to adopt a coyote."

I laugh. "No way, a coyote?"

"Yep. It was fully grown too. He named it Brownie, I think. That 'dog' followed him everywhere; that is, until Shiro found out about it."

I try to imagine the scene playing out: a younger Keith hugging the poor coyote while Shiro stands exasperated. It's actually something I can imagine him doing.

"What happened next?"

"They went here. Matt too. My mom didn't let me come, but Shiro told me later what happened. Apparently after they left it near a stream, Keith was leaving pieces of bacon for Brownie to follow. Which he did. It wasn't until they were halfway home that Matt realized Brownie was in the van."

"Aw, they should have kept the dog." I say.

"That's what I said!" She shifts the bundle of firewood in her arms. "Do you think this is enough?"

"Yeah." I bend down to pick up one last stick. "We have a whole bunch at camp. Besides," I look at the fading sun. "It's getting dark, and I'm hungry."

When we arrive back at camp, I see that the boys have done a pretty good job setting it up. There are only two tents set up-one I recognize as Hunk's. Next to that one is another tent, which going by the backpack that lays unopened, I assume it's Pidge's. Then, there are four sleeping bags that surround the fire pit and complete the circle. I recognize Lance's which is next to Hunks, and my own which is next to Lance's sleeping bag. With a start I realize that Keith's sleeping bag is next to mine. Shiro trusts us. Suddenly he doesn't seem so much like a stranger anymore. Keith is kneeling by the pit working on building the fire; while Hunk and Shiro prepare the food. All in all, this camp has a cozy feel to it.

"Whoa." I say. "You guys did an amazing job."

"I know right?" Lance says. He's sitting across from Keith, breaking the firewood we found into smaller pieces. I go over to them and put the firewood into the pile between Pidge's tent and a sleeping bag.

"So, what's for dinner?" I sit down between them.

"Hunk's making hot-dogs and Shiro...Shiro is just trying to help. He's never been the best cook." Keith says with a smile.

"It's cool, man. Hunk can make anything taste good." Lance says. This makes me pause. They're actually not...fighting. Lance catches my confused look.

"We made a deal. The first one to start a fight loses." Of course. The only way to get them to behave is through competition. "I mean at least until this trip is over. I don't think my boy, Keith, can handle not yelling at me."

"I am not your boy." Keith says.

"See? He's already going to lose." There's a yell behind us and I see Hunk is balancing quite dangerously a tower of meat. Lance jumps to his feet and runs up to help him.

"So, whose idea was it to make the deal?" I ask Keith. He smiles craftily.

"Mine. I knew he couldn't resist a bet." I smack his arm lightly.

"You are so sneaky. But I like it."

"I'm surprised Lance didn't catch on to the ruse." He says as he strikes another match. Smoke starts to emerge from the fire.

"Nice! And he likes competition too much to give it up." He laughs.

"Hey guys. Oh good, you got the fire to start." Hunk says.

Pidge come over as well and sets down two logs in front of the fire. One, Hunk uses for himself and the other as a table to put the food on. I see that there are sausages on sticks, somewhat like kebabs. While he adds some type of sauce to them, Shiro and Lance help bring the condiments. Once Hunk is done, he gives us each a sausage on a stick to cook. Most of us manage to not burn them but after two of Shiro's sticks fall into the fire, Hunk resolves on cooking Shiro's food himself.

As we eat, Lance launched into a winded story about his car crash. He makes several exaggerations, making the story into a near death experience in which he heroically escaped from; but I have to hand it to my brother, he is quite the story teller.

The sun eventually dips into the horizon and the dying light paints the desert mountains into a colorful painting of purple and red. Keith tells me that tomorrow, we're going to explore them. There are some caves that him and Shiro found when they were younger. Eventually, the stars begin to cover the entire sky and our little fire is the only light we see for miles and miles. Despite the distance from other people, I don't feel along. Being here with both friends and family, I feel at home. I lean on Keith's shoulder while Shiro tells another of his stories- it sees like he is never going to run out of them. This particular one is about when him and Keith were younger. As he talks I keep imagining little Keith running around and getting into trouble.

"It seems you were always a troublemaker." I whisper. He leans his head to rest on mine.

"From what I've seen, so were you." He takes my hand and gives a soft squeeze. "I'm glad I met you."

"Me too." I have the urge to kiss him but it seems inappropriate to do it in front of so many people. Maybe later.

Shiro finishes his story and Hunk, with Pidge's help, immediately passes around s'mores. There is a celebratory air around the cabin; and I can't help thinking that we should have done this earlier. We decide to do the cheesy thing and sing campfire songs-which none of us know any, so in the end we sing popular pop songs that everyone knows. It's amazing, really, hearing Keith sing the entire Last Friday Night.(T.G.I.F) song. The night is filled with out off-key singing and laughter.

When I wake up, everyone's fast asleep. The fire is slowly dying but it's such a nice night that we don't even need it's heat. I stretch and turn to my side; Keith is curled up. His relaxed face make him look years younger. I realize that the last time I saw him asleep was after he got hurt. It's amazing how everything has changed since then.

Keith's eyes open slowly and when they focus on mine, he gives me a sleepy smile.

"Hey." He murmurs. He shifts a little, his eyes already drooping closed.

"Hey."

"I love you." He mumbles. It's so low that I almost don't hear it.

"I love you too." I fall asleep with a smile on my lips.


	30. Chapter 30

This is it, guys. I can't believe it's done. I know I keep saying this but thank you all for your AMAZING support...I honestly can't thank you enough 3. I won't makes this long but I love you guys so much. Thank you for reading my story...and I hope you like the ending ;).

And if you guys want more adventures of Lizzy and Keith, check out my other fanfiction set in the legit world of Voltron. The Stars in Your Eyes and it's sequel The Beating Of Your Heart.

Lance is slathering sunscreen on. This is the second time this morning he's put it on; and the sun hasn't even fully risen. Pidge has complained about this five times already. On the seats behind us, Hunk is snoring away; he always did have an amazing talent to fall asleep immediately. Despite the early awakening, I'm excited. Ever since I saw the mountains and heard about the caves, I couldn't wait to explore it. I look out the window seeing the desert pass by and too soon, the van finally comes to a stop at the base of a mountain and everyone clambers off. We take in the mountain in front of us.

"Whoa, we're going to climb all that?" Hunk says. "It seemed so much smaller from the distance."

"The climb is not bad. There's a path that runs up; which isn't so steep. It's barely used but it should be enough. We'll make it to the top in about two, maybe three, hours." Shiro tells us.

"Alright! Let's get explorin'!" Lance pumps his arms. "Lead the way Shiro."

"Okay, remember what I told you in the car, don't get too close to the edge. Be smart, although this isn't as dangerous, let's not take any chances." Shiro says.

And then we're off. The sun starts rising and slowly, I start seeing more of the mountain. The particular mountain that we're climbing is one of the tallest ones in this range. But thankfully, the trail doesn't seem all that steep. Shiro starts pointing out things we see as we rise. He explains to us what type of lizard we just saw or a particular bush that can be used as medicine. It's amazing, really, what treasures lie hidden in what most people would dismiss.

Keith falls into step besides me and starts telling me the details that Shiro missed. They are usually more personal detail. Every now and then we cross a certain spot and he tells me stories of what happened to him right there. It's nice hearing that such a deserted-looking mountain is full of history.

"There was a horde of snakes there once." He points to a large bush. "I was hiking alone during summer and there they were."

"You mean that you did exactly what Shiro said not to. Hike alone. In the middle of a desert. During summer." I try to glare at him but immediately smile. "You know, you're going to get yourself killed one of these days."

"I haven't been killed yet. I think my chances of survival are pretty good. Especially with you here." He says referring to the time in the alley.

"Flirting again?" Lance nudges in and puts his arms around us. I stumble a bit from the sudden weight. "Jesus, don't you guys ever get tired of it?"

"Do you? You flirt with every moving object." Keith says pushing Lance's arm off his shoulder.

"You make a good point, Mullet. By the way, Hunk wants to ask, how much longer until we take break? It's been like an hour since we've started."

"I'll ask." Keith walks a bit faster and catches up with Shiro.

"So, I never knew Keith had it in him to be smooth." He teases. I poke his ribs until he laughs and takes his arm off my shoulder.

"Are you just jealous that you have no one to flirt with?" I say.

He shrugs. "It's a skill you've gotta keep practicing or else you end up flirting like Keith. 'Especially with you here'? I'm swooning. Seriously, how do you even like this guy."

"I just do." I answer honestly. He pretends to gag. Before he can say anything, Shiro turns around and points to a shady area near the path's wall.

"We can rest here for a while, eat the food you packed for breakfast. You're going to need the energy. We still need," He checks his watch. "About an hour and a half."

Hunk is the first one to slump against the wall and Pidge sits next to him. The rest of us don't need to be told twice and we all start eating. Despite the light snack we had before getting on the van, I'm starving. Too soon, we're on the road once more. The chatter resumes once more now that we have eaten and rested. Keith and I hike in companionable silence, every so often we point out cool things. Once I see an enormous hare about the height of my knee, it's tall ears stand straight up as it take us in; then in a flash, it's gone.

"Did you see that!" I tell Keith. "That thing was huge!"

"That's what she said." Lance calls back immediately.

"Lance!" Hunk chastises.

"What? It's in my nature."

I stick my tongue out at him and laugh. I have to admit, I thought the same thing as soon as I said it. Lance and I went through the 'that's what she said' phase in our Sophomore year. And it still pops up every now and then.

We reach a curve in the road and Shiro stops."The caves are this way," He points upwards, off the path. It's a little steeper than we've hiked so far but it's nothing we can't handle. "They are actually not very well known around here, me and Keith have only seen a few signs of people going into them."

"So they're a secret?" Pidge asks.

"It's the perfect place to kill someone." Lance points out. "You sure you're not going to kill us?"

He sighs. If I didn't know any better, I would say that he was Takashi Shirodone with Lance's comments.

"That's a yes to Pidge's question and a definite no to Lance's. Are you guys ready?" Shiro asks. He receives several nods. "Okay, then let's go. Step where I step, I don't want anyone getting hurt today."

He leads the way and we follow him. Keith falls back to bring up the rear, a precaution in case someone gets separated. In front of me, Hunk seems a little nervous and he walks up the path. There are times where the path gets steep enough that we have to crouch over and hold on to handholds with our hands. I glance behind me and almost slip in surprise. The desert is spread out before us; I hadn't realized just how much we've climbed. I swallow, uneasy at being this high up. Behind me Pidge follows my gaze.

"Whoa. We're higher than I thought we were." She says.

"Right? I thought so too." I tear my gaze off of the vast desert and continue climbing, trying not to think about the fall if I were to slide down.

After what I assume to be twenty minutes, Shiro disappears then Lance. As Hunk reaches the spot where they disappears I realize that we've reached the top. Shiro's arm appears as he offers his help, and Hunk takes it's my turn to get pulled up, I see that Hunk and Lance are looking at the landscape behind me; I don't turn around. Looking at it once was enough. Instead, I focus on the huge wall of rock rising up before us. There is a crevice just at the base of it but it seems barely big enough to fit Shiro. Pidge and Keith make it over the edge. Once everyone is over the edge, Shiro asks everyone to take out the flashlights.

"We've explored this cave before and I wouldn't be bringing all of you here if I wasn't sure that it was safe. You'll see that there are other tunnels leading away, don't go into them; there may be many that are unstable. But as long as you stay in the main cavern, you'll be okay." He smiles. "Ready to explore?"

Pidge and Lance cheer. And we follow him to the crevice I saw. It turns out that the small sliver of a hole I saw spread out wider once I got closer to it. I saw it at an angle, I realize. No wonder it seemed smaller. I click on my flashlight and follow my friends into the hole.

Inside, the cave opens up almost immediately to reveal a large cavern. It's filled with our excited whispers as we all take in the view. I see that there are several small tunnels leading deeper into the mountain. With six flashlights, there's enough light to illuminate the cavern pretty well. There are stalagmites emerging from both the floor and ceiling, it takes me a while to tear my eyes off of them. Someone grips my arms and I turn to see that it's Lance.

"This is so cool!" He whispers.

"I know right!" I say.

The group spreads out to explore the cavern and Lance sticks with me. My eyes, along with the flashlight, dart around trying to take in as much as I can. I keep tripping from the uneven floor beneath me and Lance steadies me. My light beam hits one of the farthest walls and something catches my eyes. I squint my eyes trying to get a better look and head towards it. Lance notices them too.

"Whoa are those..."

"Carvings." Beneath the dirt that covers them, I make out faint shapes of animals and people. Now that my eyes know what they're looking for, I point my flashlight at other parts of the wall and see the carvings. "Whoa."

I focus my attention at the carving in front of me and approach it. I brush the dirt away and feel the indentations beneath my fingers. From the corner of my eye, I feel Lance doing the same. Immediately, the carvings start glowing blue.

We both jump back in shock. I realize that the whole room is washed in a blue color-all the other carvings in the cavern have started glowing. There are several exclamations from our friends.

"Uh, guys, what just happened?" Hunk's nervous voice calls out.

"They've never done that before." Keith says.

"What the- Lance where are you going?" I see him enter a cave glowing with the carvings. It's the only one that does so.

"Don't you feel that? It's coming from this way!" Lance doesn't even bother turning back and he disappears in into the tunnel. Without a second's thought, I follow him. I hear our friends close behind. I try to catch up to Lance but he's jogging now. The tunnel is awash with the odd blue light which illuminates everything so well that we don't need the flashlights.

"Lance?" I call out as he disappears behind a bend.

I briefly get a glimpse of another cavern opening up in front when I crash into Lance and land on my butt. He doesn't even turn around but keeps looking at something. His body block my view and I hear several footsteps come to a sudden halt behind me. There are immediately several exclamations. It's been a while since I've hear Hunk curse. I look at everyone's face and they are all staring shocked at one thing.

Standing up, I shift a little and take a look at the cavern. It's bigger than the first one, complete with a natural underground stream. Carvings cover most of the walls here, illuminating the cavern. But that is not the most important thing. In the middle of the cave, there sits an enormous blue lion.


End file.
